How One Region in India Took Over U.S. Hotels

Today, Indian Americans own over 60% of hotels and motels in the United States. Most of them trace back to one region in India: Gujarat. But this didn’t happen by accident. It began in the 1930s with Kanji Desai — the “Godfather of Hospitality” - who saw that motels weren’t just a business…they were a bridge. A way for immigrants from Gujarat to arrive in America and immediately have a path to ownership.