Families & Culture

The story of the Patels in America is one of the most remarkable examples of what shared culture and values can achieve.

Starting with little capital but a strong sense of family and community, Gujarati immigrants—many of them with the surname Patel—built what is now an extraordinary presence in the U.S. hospitality industry.

By the 1980s, Indian-Americans owned a growing share of America’s motels, and today it’s estimated they own around 40% of all motels nationwide. Among these, a very high proportion are owned by Patels. In certain segments—especially small-town, independently run or budget motels—the figure can rise as high as 80–90%.

This success didn’t come from luck or privilege, but from a powerful alignment of purpose. Families lived in the motels they operated, worked long hours together, reinvested profits, and brought in uncles, aunts, and cousins to run new properties. Because they shared not only blood but also culture—a common worldview, work ethic, and sense of duty—they could operate with extraordinary unity. That shared culture became a natural competitive advantage, allowing them to coordinate seamlessly, trust one another deeply, and outwork the competition.

It’s easy to romanticise family loyalty as the source of such success, but I believe it runs deeper than affection or obligation. What truly binds these families is shared culture—a set of values so ingrained that it aligns everyone toward the same vision. When everyone in an organisation sees the world through the same lens and moves toward the same “north star,” that unity becomes a force multiplier.

Over generations, however, even families can lose this alignment. By the third generation, the grit and discipline that built the business often fade. Many mistake the foundation of their success as “family,” when in fact it was shared values—and once those values diverge, the business loses its core strength.

This lesson applies far beyond family enterprises. Great companies cultivate culture intentionally. They hire for shared values and a common sense of purpose. Whether you’re family or not, the moment everyone in a company feels “like family”—knowing instinctively what’s expected, what’s acceptable, and what standard to live up to—you’ve built something extraordinary.

Creating that kind of culture is difficult. But if you succeed, it gives your business the same enduring strength that once propelled the Patel motel families: resilience in turbulent times, unity under pressure, and a lasting legacy that results in long lasting, multi generational prosperity.