Jay Patel - Board Director

Jay Patel was elected to the Best Western Board of Directors in November 2010 to represent the interests of Best Western hotel owners in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He served as Secretary-Treasurer of the board in 2012.

Patel’s history with Best Western goes back more than 25 years, and in that time he has developed five Best Western hotels in Louisiana. He currently owns the BEST WESTERN West Monroe Inn in West Monroe, La., the BEST WESTERN Airport Inn in Monroe, La., the BEST WESTERN LaPlace Inn in LaPlace, La., and the BEST WESTERN Houma Inn in Gray, La.

Patel’s company, Cajun Lodging, owns, manages and builds hotels ranging from limited service to full service. In addition to the four Best Westerns, his company owns six other hotels in the suburban New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas.

Before being elected to the Board, Patel held a number of leadership positions within the Best Western organization, including serving as a Best Western Governor for nearly 15 years. He also has served as chairman of the brand’s committees for education and training and cultural diversity.

Patel and his wife have three children and live in LaPlace, La. After immigrating to the United States at the age of 19, Patel graduated from California State University at San Francisco with a B.S. in Clinical Science.