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Surat to San Francisco is the untold Patel hospitality history from its genesis to its gradual consolidation and expansion (1942-1960). It chronicles how three founders, Kanji Manchhu Desai, Nanalal Patel, and D. Lal, accidentally created the first Patel hotel in Sacramento in 1942 and then helped over two dozen Patels and Khatris to lease inexpensive SROs in San Francisco. The stories of Gujarati hoteliers, told for the first time, are fascinating, exciting, and inspiring, a must-read.
They leased the 32-room Ford Hotel at firesale terms of $350 down and $75 per month. All three Patels were undocumented as America in the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s did not allow Indians to immigrate. A few years later, Kanji Desai shifted to the Mission District in San Francisco and leased the Hotel Goldfield. The Hotel Goldfield became the headquarters of new Patels, who came searching for the American dream. Desai welcomed them with open arms, sheltering, feeding, and guiding them. By 1954, Desai had helped nearly 30 Patels and other Gujaratis to get into the hotel business. The book has the biographies of other Patel hoteliers and includes many rare photographs from the 1940s and 1950s.
The Founder, Kanji Manchhu, leased the first Patel SRO in Sacramento, California, in September 1942 for $350 down and $75 a month. From this humble beginning, today the Patels own over 60% of all hotels and motels in America. Please read the book to know how they achieved such an unparalleled feat.
Step into a story never before told—the journey of Gujarati Patels who carved their legacy in America’s hospitality industry. Surat to San Francisco brings to life the passion, perseverance, and power of a community that changed the face of hospitality business in the U.S.
A true American immigrant success story, a captivating narrative and cultural milestone. A must-read for history lovers, entrepreneurs, and hotel/motel owners.
Explore MoreSurat to San Francisco is the untold hospitality history of the Patel community, from its genesis to its gradual consolidation and expansion. The book chronicles how three founders, illegal farmhands in the San Joaquin farms of California, accidentally established the first hotel for their clan.
They began leasing the first Patel SRO in Sacramento, California, in 1942; today, they dominate the industry. They wield substantial influence, and the hotel-motel business in America has become the most appealing and coveted for them.
Kanjibhai, a courageous trailblazer, was the first Patel to venture into the American hotel industry.
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He was the second most crucial hotelier in founding the Patel hospitality business. He arrived in America
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Entrusted with the mantle of family responsibility on his father's death, D. Lal faced numerous challenges.
Read MoreIf you are a Patel, lease a hotel because there's nothing better available here.
