Chet Patel, Baywood Hotels | From Motel Rooms to 125 Hotels
Fri Feb 06 2026
In this episode of Bed and Butter, the hospitality podcast produced in partnership with Southern Maine Community College, host Sean Riley sits down with Chet Patel, Senior Vice President and co-founder of Baywood Hotels, one of the most influential privately held hotel ownership and development companies in the United States.
Baywood Hotels owns and operates more than 125 hotels across 25 states, with a portfolio spanning major hotel brands including Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Choice Hotels. Chet shares how Baywood grew from regional roots in the Mid-Atlantic to a nationwide hospitality footprint—driven by strategic hotel development, asset repositioning, dual-brand projects, and disciplined operations.
This conversation also explores the powerful legacy of Indian-American hotel entrepreneurship, including why the surname Patel has become nearly synonymous with hotel ownership in the U.S. Chet breaks down the real story behind the Patel hotel movement: immigration, community support, franchising, and generational growth from roadside motels to national hotel empires.
Listeners will also gain insight into hotel prototype development, brand standards, renovations, guest experience trends, and how technology—including AI—may reshape hospitality over the next decade.
Whether you’re a hospitality student, hotel professional, owner, developer, or future entrepreneur, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to scale a hotel company while staying grounded in service, leadership, and long-term strategy.
Learn more about Southern Maine Community College: https://www.smccme.edu
Explore Baywood Hotels: https://www.baywoodhotels.com
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In this episode of Bed and Butter, the hospitality podcast produced in partnership with Southern Maine Community College, host Sean Riley sits down with Chet Patel, Senior Vice President and co-founder of Baywood Hotels, one of the most influential privately held hotel ownership and development companies in the United States. Baywood Hotels owns and operates more than 125 hotels across 25 states, with a portfolio spanning major hotel brands including Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Choice Hotels. Chet shares how Baywood grew from regional roots in the Mid-Atlantic to a nationwide hospitality footprint—driven by strategic hotel development, asset repositioning, dual-brand projects, and disciplined operations. This conversation also explores the powerful legacy of Indian-American hotel entrepreneurship, including why the surname Patel has become nearly synonymous with hotel ownership in the U.S. Chet breaks down the real story behind the Patel hotel movement: immigration, community support, franchising, and generational growth from roadside motels to national hotel empires. Listeners will also gain insight into hotel prototype development, brand standards, renovations, guest experience trends, and how technology—including AI—may reshape hospitality over the next decade. Whether you’re a hospitality student, hotel professional, owner, developer, or future entrepreneur, this episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to scale a hotel company while staying grounded in service, leadership, and long-term strategy. Learn more about Southern Maine Community College: https://www.smccme.edu Explore Baywood Hotels: https://www.baywoodhotels.com