Local franchise owner meets with Trump, discusses industry's pain

Tahlequah Daily Press - 7/14/2020

Jul. 14--As businesses throughout the country have taken a hit due to the COVID-19 outbreak, a Tahlequah business owner was recently invited to discuss his industry's hardships with President Donald Trump.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Promise Hotels CEO Pete Patel, and Oklahoma City restauranteur Lori Burson traveled to the White House in June for a roundtable discussion on the reopening of America's small businesses. Patel's company, Promise Hotels, owns 12 properties in eastern Oklahoma, including the Holiday Inn Express in Tahlequah. Also in the works is the company's Tru by Hilton, which is still under construction in the Cherokee Springs Plaza.

"It doesn't matter who the president of the United States is; to be in the White House and to meet the president is an honor," said Patel. "It was just a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I was so thrilled. He was a great host. He welcomed us and his staff was very gracious to us, from the minute we walked in, all the way to the time we left."

During the discussion, Patel relayed his concerns for hotel industry. He said it was one of the first to suffer from the coronavirus, and could be the last to recover. Before the pandemic, Patel said, the industry boasted record occupancies and profitability. But he told the Daily Press this week that it could be two years until Promise Hotels fully recovers.

"The fear of travel, unless there's a vaccine, is out there," he said. "I must say hotels are very safe. Hotels throughout the country, they've really taken their cleaning procedures very seriously. There's thorough cleaning daily, almost three or four times a day. So we're doing our job to protect our guests and our employees."

While Tahlequah'sHoliday Inn Express has seen an uptick in guests in recent weeks, Promise Hotels' other locations have not enjoyed the same return in business. Patel said many hotels in Tulsa rely on festivals, concerts at the BOK Center and Cain's Ballroom, and other events to bring in visitors. He added that corporate companies in the downtown area still have many of their employees working from home, which means less traffic in the area.

Patel was able to meet with various members of Trump's Cabinet, and during the discussion, he told them the industry would need additional resources to help pay the bills. Among his suggestions were pressure relief from local banks that have hospitality loans, and he added that more states need to reopen.

"It was an opportunity for me to speak about our industry and the importance of our industry, especially small business," he said. "One of the things is that we're franchisees. You hear the names Hilton, Marriott, Holiday Inn -- they're big national companies, but most people in communities like Tahlequah, and whatever little town there is, we're all franchisees. So we're really small business owners."

Although not every community has been able to bounce back after the economic shutdown, Patel said he's fortunate to be doing business in Tahlequah, and hopes to see Promise Hotels' other properties see a similar turnaround soon.

"We've had a really great last 30 days over there after Memorial [Day] weekend," he said. "It's been busy for us, and I wish all of our hotels were like Tahlequah. But we have a long recovery and we hope we get back on our feet soon."

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