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Viral (Victor) Patel
Board Chairperson

Victor Patel 

Viral (Victor) Patel serves as Chairperson for the BWH® Hotels' Board of Directors. Elected in 2021, he represents the interests of hotel owners in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada.

Mr. Patel has more than 25 years’ experience in the hospitality industry and as a Best Western® hotel owner. He currently owns and operates the Best Western Corbin Inn located in Corbin, Kentucky, celebrating 25 years of ownership in 2025. Through the years, he has held various leadership roles within the brand, including serving as a governor – a liaison between the brand and its hoteliers – and chair of the Best Western Kentucky marketing co-op, providing strategic input and direction on regional marketing efforts. Mr. Patel also owns and operates a Hilton Garden Inn in Lexington, Kentucky and has experience managing IHG-branded hotels.

A seasoned industry veteran, Mr. Patel has held various leadership roles at both the local and national level, including serving as Board Chairman for the Corbin Tourism & Convention Commission. He was also the first hotelier to serve as Chairman of the Board for the Kentucky Travel Industry Association (KTIA). Additionally, he has held leadership positions with the Chamber of Commerce and served as an ambassador for the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA).

Mr. Patel is passionate about community service and actively participates in his local Hindu temple and the Indian Cultural Society in Lexington, Kentucky. Raised in India, Mr. Patel has lived in the United States for more than 35 years. He began his lifelong hospitality career working at a motel in Baltimore, Maryland, before later realizing his dream of hotel ownership. He is a graduate of Penn State University and resides in London, Kentucky with his wife and daughters.