AAHOA
November 18, 2015

032 | Bridging the Generation Gap with Nimesh Zaver

AAHOA

Nimesh “Nick” Zaver was born and raised in London, England, and he immigrated to the United States with his family in 1981. After graduating from high school, Nimesh attended college-level courses in business and architecture at institutions including the University of Central Florida, the University of Arkansas at Monticello and Louisiana Tech University.

Before completing his college education, Nimesh opted to pursue a career in the hospitality industry with his parents, and by the age of 22, he built his first hotel. He now owns and operates 5 properties in local Lake Charles, La, and he has several more in the pipeline.

Nimesh served as AAHOA Gulf Regional Director for 4 years and he’s an AAHOA Lifetime member. He’s also a longstanding member of LPS (the Leuva Patidar Samaj). He served as a Board member for the Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, President of Umrakh Seva Mandal, a committee member of the South Central Gujarati Samaj, and President of the Southwest Louisiana Hotel & Lodging Association.

Nimesh and his wife, Dipti, have two children, Ishan and Nakita.

In This Episode, Nimesh Reveals:

  • What it was like to immigrate to the United States when he was 7 years old
  • How his parents first entered the hotel business
  • Some of the many struggles his family had as hoteliers over the years
  • How shifts in the market and economy lead to his parents losing properties, and having to move several times to begin again
  • Why he dropped out of college to pursue a career in hospitality
  • How he built his first property when he was just 22 years old
  • How he made the transition from single property to multi-property owner
  • The painful lessons learned from the struggles of his early years … and how he’s now paving a more profitable future

Resources & Links

AAHOA

  • 311 | Shelters From the Norm: Hotels used for hospitals and housing face unexpected problems

    A year ago, Darshan Patel, CEO of Hotel Investment Group in San Diego, California, was one of the first hoteliers in the U.S. to step up and offer properties to overwhelmed hospitals seeking places to care for COVID and non-COVID patients as well as vulnerable populations. As the crisis eases and Hotel Investment Group works to return the hotels to business, Patel is negotiating with local governments to pay for the wear and tear on the properties. Patel is not alone as many hoteliers are unexpectedly dealing with problems that state and local governments’ urgent decisions have created, including property damage, increased costs and eviction bans. This report is the second in a two-part series examining the pros and cons of opening hotels to alternative uses during the pandemic. It is part of Long Live Lodging’s special coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry.

  • 310 | Hotels Convert to Housing: Federal COVID-19-relief funds fuel transactions

    Dhruv Patel, president of Ridgemont Hospitality, in October shared a bittersweet moment with his parents, Pravin and Sima Patel, when the family business sold the first motel that Pravin had built from the ground up more than 30 years ago. But they rest assured knowing it was the right decision because the 22-room property is being converted into affordable housing for military veterans at risk of homelessness. The transaction is among hundreds taking place across the U.S. as state and local governments work with non-profit agencies to create affordable housing solutions for vulnerable populations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In Episode 310 Long Live Lodging reports on the financial and legal aspects of what it takes to convert a hotel into long-term housing. This report is part of Long Live Lodging’s special coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry.

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