Are you a multi-unit franchisee looking to sell your locations? https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/    Are you interested in buying a top new restaurant franchise? https://eatagape.com/franchise/  Keni’s story begins in 1982, when his family immigrated to the U.S. with nothing but visas and a network of distant relatives. Like many Patels from Gujarat, his family moved directly into a relative’s motel—18 people living on-site while working every role from housekeeping to front desk to maintenance.Over time, Keni watched his parents acquire and expand their own motel using a mix of friends-and-family financing, 12% interest bank loans, and extreme frugality. That model—a family living in the back unit, doing every job, and saving every dollar—became the backbone of how Patels came to own 40% of hotels in the U.S. and 80–90% of motels. Today, Keni owns hotels himself and works as a data scientist at Driftwood Capital, a $5B hospitality investment firm that develops and operates Hilton and Marriott properties. We break down: What you’ll learn Why Patels dominate the motel industry How friends-and-family lending works in Gujarati communities What margins look like for economy vs luxury hotels Why a single family can run a 17-room motel with 60% margins When owner-operator models stop working The full economics behind ADR, RevPAR, NOI, and cap rates Why Hilton, Marriott & others keep inventing new sub-brands How COVID impacted economy hotels vs upscale hotels Why management companies exist (and why they don’t buy hotels themselves) This is one of the clearest, most detailed walkthroughs of the actual business of hotels you’ll ever hear. CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Growing up in a motel with 18 family members 3:15 – How Patels finance their first properties 7:00 – The origins of the Patel motel network 10:20 – The “friends & family” lending system explained 12:45 – Life living in a 17-room motel 15:50 – Zero days off & never sleeping through the night 18:40 – Why the first motel is the hardest 20:30 – The true margins of economy hotels 23:00 – Converting to a Days Inn and what changes 25:30 – Keni’s portfolio today + Driftwood Capital 27:00 – How hotels actually evaluate performance (ADR, RevPAR) 31:50 – Why hotel data is so rich compared to other industries 33:40 – Revenue per key & top-line benchmarks 36:15 – Cap rates and valuation differences by hotel class 38:20 – Why owner-operator models break above ~60 rooms 40:00 – Corporate contracts & sales in economy hotels 41:15 – When you need professional hotel management 44:00 – Why hotel restaurants rarely make money 47:00 – The cap rate arbitrage in economy hotels 51:30 – Why hotel brands have 35+ sub-brands 55:00 – Keni’s long-term plans 56:00 – Where to follow Keni