Virtelle’s vision is inspired by a story founded on determination, drive, and perseverance.
Virtelle brings over 40 years of experience to the hospitality industry as a premier hotel management company - but our service in the industry is timeless.
A pioneer in Asheville’s modern hospitality industry, Bhagwanji “Bob” Patel migrated from India to New York City in 1969 in pursuit of a higher education. The 22-year old, with a keen passion for structural engineering, graduated with honors in just two years. For the next decade, Bob worked as a structural engineer in New York and Philadelphia until he and his family were granted citizenship. Their decision to move to Florida would soon change the course of a generation.
They purchased their first hotel in 1979, a 72-room Howard Johnson’s hotel in Pensacola, Florida. As chance would have it, their next opportunity brought the Patel family to Asheville, where in 1981 they bought their second property, the Econo Lodge in East Asheville. The hospitality industry quickly became more than a business — it became a way of life for Bob and his family — and, a way to bring life back to the small mountain town of Asheville, NC.
The family, including daughter Swati and her husband Himanshu Karvir who today run operations in their hotels, have worked tirelessly to provide exceptional service in all aspects of their properties. It is a dedication that overflows into giving back to their own community.