Indians and hotels

[AndrewR]

I just have a question for those of Indian descent since I have been really perplexed by something lately. Why are there so many Indians in the hotel industry? I work for a major hotel company, and at least 20% of our franchisees, if not more, are from India or of Indian descent. There are also a great many Indians working in hotels from what I have seen (four out of five department heads at the hotel I visited yesterday were Indian). I realize that India is a rather populous country, but so is China, and we have almost no Chinese franchisees that I have seen.

It really means nothing, but I just wonder if there is something in the culture that might encourage working in hospitality. It's something I've noticed over the last two years, and I wonder if anyone can shed some light on the subject since I am unfamiliar with India and the culture.

 

[SirFshAlot]

and why do Greeks have the best flamebroiled hamburgers?

 

[FettsBabe]

There's another company franchise that is almost completely owned by Indians, and I can't remember what in the heck it is.

 

[SirFshAlot]

forehead gemstone embeddery?

 

[bigvince]

I am not indian but i do know that alot of indian people come here to start buissness because in india it is very difficult to do so. they have many laws and regulations that make it almost impossible to start or make successful a buissness so they come to the united states and find it realativly easy to start a buissness of thire own or even easier a franchise.
so i think this goes beyond just hotels just walk into your local 7-11 or gas station and see who's behind the counter. this is all because thire new to the country and still belive in what we've sold them as the american dream. i would say that alot of americans are just complacent and happy working for someone else.

 

[kranky]

Interesting you would mention this. I just got back from a trip last week to a small town in South Carolina. The Holiday Inn where we normally stay was full, and we switched to a nearby Hampton Inn. Turns out both are owned by the same Indian gentleman. Two different chains, same town.

 

[KidViciou$]

well its like this, you can make a LOT more money in US having a small shop than you can in india. that is because there are SOOOOO MANY of these small shops in india, and there isnt a real franchise of shops in india as there are in america

 

[CyberSax]

Actually it's pretty easy to start a business in India.

Of the Indians that immigrate to other countries, a disproportionatly large number of them have been from the businessman/shopkeeper caste, hence, so many Indians owning franchises and the like here in the U.S.

 

[DABANSHEE]

Plus Indians have pretty good English skills. Oh & that's the king's English too, not some bastardised American form of English.

Really rules & regulations are no big deal in India because no one makes more than a token effort to comply with them anyway.

 

[prodigy]

and why do all Chinese people own laudromats or grocery stores?
and why do all Koreans own nail salons?
and why do all Italians own Pizzerias or Italian Restaurants?

 

[FettsBabe]

Woohoo I remembered!!! Indians own the majority of the "Eagles" stores you see down at the beach. They also own some of the "Pacific" stores too.

 

[AndrewR]

Also, is it true that people with the last name of Patel tend to be in that class of small businessmen, or is it just an exceedingly common surname such as Smith in English? I have about ten cases involving Indian franchisees (the bad kind -- they owe us money!), and five of them are [insert first name] Patel. I seem to remember hearing something about that name in connection with caste awhile back.

Kranky: Well, at least the hotel you wanted to stay at first was a good one. Actually, Hampton was started by Holiday Inn (then spun off with Promus Corporation).

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

AndrewR: Yeah most (NOT ALL) "Patels" come from a caste where most are business people. By that I mean they own businesses.

 

[denali]

AndrewR, If you goto Asian American Hotel Owners Association you will learn that they own about 75% of all economy lodging in the US. For more on the Patels.

 

[Srikanth]

Indians have a great sense of hospitality. In fact in India a guest is treated as equal to God.

Patels are mostly business class people.

 

[CyberSax]

Also, is it true that people with the last name of Patel tend to be in that class of small businessmen, or is it just an exceedingly common surname such as Smith in English?

Good call there. Those with the last name "Patel" do indeed belong to the businessman/shopkeeper caste.

 

[AndrewR]

That's pretty interesting. I know that Indians take hospitality seriously because the head housekeeper at the hotel yesterday wanted to fire housekeepers who put the comforter on the floor (bad for sanitary reasons) since that's how they did it in India. Tough crowd!

Thanks for the info.

 

[EverClear]

So it would seem our hotels are world famous here in Myrtle Beach, atleast owned by people form other parts of the world. And the wings/eagles/waves baechwear stores drive me crazy. So I had to vent tonight