Hospitality has always, to a large extent, been a family affair. From family-owned inns to small companies that have ended up as industry giants, working together with relatives to build a strong, successful hotel business is a core aspect of the industry.

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One such family unit is mother-daughter duo Hina and Rhea Patel, who lead AAAR Hotels, mother Hina as executive vice president and daughter Rhea as vice president. The company owns and operates 21 hotels, including the Red Roof Inn Dayton South – Miamisburg (Ohio).

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BUILDING THE FOUNDATION

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Hina’s journey into the hotel industry is a familiar one. A first-generation hotelier, she entered the industry after marriage, running a small independent hotel with her family starting in 1999, according to Rhea.

 

“Her dedication and entrepreneurial spirit led to the purchase of her first branded property with my dad, Bhavesh, which they successfully owned and operated for over a decade,” Rhea said. “Their shared vision eventually gave rise to AAAR Hotels, founded alongside their managing partners.”

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Rhea, however, originally sought a different path, pursuing a career in sports management at the University of Cincinnati.

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“Everything changed after my first industry experience at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Cincinnati. It sparked a passion I couldn’t ignore,” she said. “I pivoted my focus, earning a degree in marketing with a concentration in business management. After gaining valuable outside experience at Hotel Covington, I officially joined the family business in July 2024 as vice president, proudly working alongside my mom.”

 

Rhea’s experience made her realize exactly where she fit into the hospitality world.

 

“Growing up, I saw the hands-on work — my mother cleaning rooms, checking in guests, solving problems — but at Hyatt, I saw the strategy. I saw how leadership decisions directly impacted culture, guest experience, and profitability at scale,” she said. “That experience made something click for me. I realized I didn’t just want to be around hospitality, I wanted to be in it. I wanted to bridge the hands-on ownership mindset I grew up with and the structured operational leadership I experienced in a corporate setting. That clarity brought me back into the family business with renewed focus and long-term vision.”

 

Working with her family, especially her mother, was never a question for Rhea. In fact, she said her professional journey in the hotel industry has been deeply intertwined with her mother, who she calls her mentor, partner, and best friend.

 

“My mother built the operational backbone of our hotels through years of hands-on leadership,” she said. “As we began expanding, it became clear that combining her instinct, resilience and lived experience with my focus on systems, growth strategy and long-term positioning would make us stronger together.

“It wasn’t just about working together, it was about building something generational.”

 

KEEPING IT STRONG

 

Working with family presents a host of issues, good and bad, that don’t exist when working with nonfamily. That requires careful attention to relationships and dynamics both inside and outside of the office.

 

“The biggest challenge is that family dynamics don’t disappear when you walk into the office,” Rhea said. “We both care deeply, which sometimes means we’re both strong-willed. But we’ve learned to separate emotion from decision-making. We communicate directly. We revisit conversations if needed. And above all, we anchor every disagreement in one question, which is, what’s best for the business? Respecting each other’s strengths has made all the difference.”

 

Outside of work, they are still mother and daughter first and genuinely best friends. 

 

“We travel together. We attend industry conferences together. We support each other personally and professionally,” according to Rhea. “Our favorite activity lately has been going to Zumba three days a week to stay active! Because we work so closely, we’ve learned to intentionally create space where business talk is off-limits. Protecting that boundary protects our relationship.”

 

FUTURE SUCCESS

 

As they navigate this journey together, they’re focused on thoughtful development and building a legacy rooted in family values, resilience and passion, according to Rhea.

 

“In the next five to 10 years, we see continued strategic expansion — growing our portfolio thoughtfully, strengthening operations and investing in people,” she said. “Long term, our vision is generational. We want to build a platform that empowers future family members and future leaders to step into ownership with confidence.

 

“Sustainability, mentorship and community impact will become increasingly central to our growth.”

 

Hina and Rhea offer the following advice for other families either newly going into business together or those struggling with family-business issues:

• Define roles clearly.

• Separate emotion from business decisions.

• Communicate directly… even when it’s uncomfortable.

• Protect your family relationship as intentionally as you protect your assets.

 

“And most importantly: Hospitality is not just about buildings,” according to Rhea. “It’s about people. If your family can lead with integrity, resilience and service, you can build something that lasts.”

 

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