A Trusted Global Leader
In Hospitality
Let’s take the first step together and help your Hotel succeed.
We are here every step of the way.
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Why We Are The Best
We structure our partnerships according to our owners wants and needs to ensure we deliver results and exceed expectations. As a trusted hotel management partner, we take the responsibility of managing and maximizing your assets very seriously, we strive to be more efficient and more profitable than anyone else.
Iridescent Hotels
Explore What We Are Doing Better
Success is achieved through hard work, integrity and transparency. Our dedicated Hoteliers take a hands-on approach working in full partnership with our Owners and Investors to create the best experience.
Sales & Marketing
Our Sales Leaders actively develop strategies to maximize revenues working hand in hand with our Revenue Management team with a granular focus on profitability.
Learn All About Us
Meet The Team
Ash Patel
Chief Executive Officer
Ash Patel has over 30 years of hotel experience and has managed, acquired, renovated and repositioned many assets with diversification from budget-friendly motels to upper-scale hotels. Ash has a wide array of brand experience including Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Choice Hotels, Wyndham Worldwide and Best Western. As was elected as a member of the Board of Directors for the Asian-American Hotel Owners Assocation in 2003 and served as Chairman of the Board in 2008 and 2009. He also represented the association as an Officer from 2005-2010. Ash was pivotal in instituting AAHOA's lobbying efforts in Washington, DC, and during his leadership, he incorporated the AAHOA Political Action Committee Fund. Ash also was elected in 2003 to represent over 2,000 Days Inn of America franchisees and served on their Advisory Committee. Ash also has ventures in the restaurant, banking and insurance industries. Ash served on the Advisory Council in 2015-2016 for Transparency, Technology and Diversity for the Arizona Secretary of State. In his spare time, Ash volunteers wherever he can to aid the hospitality and tourism industry or to help those in need. He also enjoys Grand Prix Motorcycle racing, exploring the sights or taking in a round of golf with friends.
Ajit Patel
Chief Financial Officer
Ajit Patel joined Southwest Hospitality as the Chief Financial Officer in 2003. In this capacity he manages all areas of the corporate accounting department, acts as a liaison between hotel investors and the management company, provides strategic planning for operational budgets and protects the assets of Southwest Hospitality. Ajit has a strong background in ownership, acquisition, remodeling and operational leadership. He started his career as an accountant in California and then went on to oversee a chain of sports stores in major malls throughout California. His first hotel acquisition was a 39-room complex in Visalia, California, which he completely remodeled and turned into a Days Inn. Over time, he added multiple hotels to his repertoire and was the catalyst in development of Southwest Hospitality's first hotel in Flagstaff, AZ. Ajit resides in Fresno, California, and enjoys spending time with his wife and playing volleyball.
Christopher Puntureri
Chief Operations Officer
Christopher M. Puntureri started his Hospitality career in 2004 as Sales Manager of the Holiday Inn SunSpreeResort. In 2006, Christopher joined the Best Western Palm Aire as the Director of Sales. In this role he developed a Sales and Catering staff from the ground up as well as helped the hotel take on the Food & Beverage operation that included a full-service bar, restaurant and 10,000 square feet of meeting space that was previously contracted out. Christopher turned his attention to Operations and joined Interstate Hotels and Resorts. During his time with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Christopher was able to solidify base business that helped support his property during the Economic fall in2008/2009 allowing the property to maintain staff and see growth. Christopher was then hired on at Image Hospitality as a General Manager helping open 3 Courtyard by Marriott properties, oversee 5 Marriott properties spread across Texas and helped Image Hospitality win multiple Diamond and Gold Awards. From 2012 through 2017, Christopher served as a Dual General Manager for Huntington Hotels and as a Full-Service General Manager for Remington Hotels overseeing renovations for both. In 2017, Christopher joined NewcrestImage as a Regional Director of Operations & Sales. In this role he oversaw 12-19 hotels and assisted in opening of 4 additional properties. Christopher joined GF Hotels & Resorts, focusing on Receivership Management, overseeing 5 to 12 properties across multiple states and assisted in the transition of 18 properties. Christopher helped start the Hotel Association, serving as Vice President from 2015 to 2018.
Raj Chauhan
Chief Technology Officer
Raj started his professional career with Sprint as a Business Wireless Tech Support agent and went on to create a technical team that worked directly for the CEO and Executive team called Business Product Service Escalation Team. He helped support and create advanced technical processes and technology that helped benefit companies such as Boeing, AA, Amazon, UPS, and other large corporations. After a very successful career at Sprint, Raj decided to take a couple of years off to pursue his passion for music and hospitality. He also started a multimedia company designing sound and light for clubs, hotels, and concert venues. Raj went on to work with the Dallas Cowboys. He went from supporting IT operations at the stadium to joining Jerry’s other venture Legends Hospitality. He helped design and implement a new cloud infrastructure and SharePoint for Legends and their new joint venture with Live Nation. He travelled to and supported major venues such as Yankees Stadium, Angels Stadium and the West Coast Live Nation Amphitheaters. It was after this he was recruited to help build and implement cloud technologies for the newly sold restaurant chain Cotton Patch. It was at Cotton Patch that he developed his passion for Construction. He helped grow Cotton Patch from 40 stores to over 55 in a matter of 2 years. He was then recruited by NewcrestImage to help lead their IT Development. Raj helped design the audio, network and lighting in 4 Marriott AC Hotels, 3 Hilton, 3 Hyatt and a couple of IHG hotels. He was part of the Development, Construction and Management teams which made him a very valuable asset. He managed the IT for 30 hotels and the corporate office.
Tim Walker
Operations
Tim is a resourceful Hospitality Professional with a wealth of experience in driving profits and returns through strong executive-level leadership and management expertise, having specialized in revenue management, sales and marketing, and trend analysis. Tim is well versed in identifying and turning around under-performing assets, creating action plans to optimize market share/segmentation, profits, and guest satisfaction. Proficient in reviewing and improving Profit & Loss Statements, marketing strategies, sales forecasting, and guest satisfaction levels. Highly adept at controlling large budgets and top-line revenues of up to $550 million and facilitating capital expenditure processes valued at $170 million over 2-year period. Proven ability to manage high-profile corporate accounts, including representation of companies within Top 50 of Fortune 500 nationwide. Tim is an accomplished leader with talent for supervising 3.6K line level and management associates located within 28 states, as well as corporate team members, achieving very low attrition levels of approximately 30% for key hotel personnel and 15% for corporate staff. Tim has a track record for promoting staff from within the organization and cultivating staff involvement in development of key organizational goals and objectives. Skilled in surpassing market share of competitors by providing strategic/tactical solutions. To name a few, Tim has served as President of Island Hospitality for over 7 years and CEO of Innkeepers USA Trust
