Jay Patel

About Jay Patel

Wintergreen Hospitality is a privately owned hotel investment, development, and management business.While cultivating a traditional competency in legacy branded franchised hotels, Wintergreen Hospitality was an early champion of the independent, lifestyle hotel movement in the Southeast. That led to a move into a soft brand platform in 2014 with our development of the 4th ever hotel to launch with Hilton’s Curio Collection. Award winning performance in guest experience and market share earned us an invitation to serve on the Owner Advisory Council for Curio Collection by Hilton and the Full Service Operations Committee for Hilton Hotels.A 10-year journey of studying the independent lodging space through trial by fire led to a record-breaking exit in 2019. Now we are attempting to launch a new independent hotel concept called Hotel Refuge in the Carolinas by digging deep into our learnings.Always the optimist, I usually see the opportunity in every situation. Spend majority of time on building a culture of people who are servant minded, engaged in their craft of delivering hospitable interactions, and who love to innovate by challenging the conventional wisdom. Think with long term patience…as in decades, not quarters.I take care to leave no stone unturned, and ask a million questions to get to the root of any situation. Can also check people into their rooms and fix toilets.

Experience

1. President

   Wintergreen Hospitality

   Jan 2007 — Present

Education

• UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

  BSBA

  2004

• Cornell University

  MMH, Hospitality Management

  2006 — 2007

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  BSBA, Business Administration

  2000 — 2004