Today we’d like to introduce you to Sunny “Boston” Patel.
Sunny “Boston”, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Born in Mississippi and moved to Canada at the age of 1. After completing elementary school in 1995 my family moved back to Mississippi, where my father began managing restaurants. At a young age, I would help operations at the restaurants.
At 8 years old, working as a cashier, mopping, anything to stay active. My father later purchased a gas station where I also helped until he finally he went into the hotel business in 2000.
At this time, I began learning maintenance work, housekeeping, while attending high school. My father ended up selling his business and moving to Nashville, TN to be closer to family. Upon coming to Nashville, I received such a shock seeing so many Patels in my classroom. This is when I started getting more involved in the Indian community. Prior to this, I grew up around other cultures. After spending a summer in Albany, New York, where I got my first job at a local Italian restaurant which lasted only a couple of days. I find a new respect for the dishwashing operation.
After returning to Tennessee, I was desperate for any job. While attending a volleyball event, a family friend recommended a job in the mall. A job was as a jewelry salesperson for 3 stores. This job was a real eye opener because it taught me about business. I learned about cost margins, wholesale pricings, ordering/design, repair, sales… You name it, I did it in the jewelry industry. I spent 4 years as a jeweler. Started as a salesmen to managing all 3 stores, only at the age of 17.
This also taught me valuable salesmen skills and taught me to initiate conversations with complete strangers. After missing family and being homesick, I wanted to move closer to family who moved to Oneonta, NY. I then stayed with my family and realized I wanted to pursue further education and business in Dallas, TX.
This is where my passion for hospitality will truly began. While attending school in Dallas, a family friend was an hotelier, was leaving the country for a couple of months and ask me if I would manage his two hotels. This is around the same time when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. I made a few calls to the Texas stadium where they were housing evacuates and offered accommodation. FEMA rented out the rooms, renting out the hotels for 8 months. The evacuees all had different stories and were unique in their own, individual way. During Thanksgiving and Christmas, my team called a local radio stations who began accepting donations for the evacuees. This became a domino effect.
We began donating turkeys, side dishes for holiday dinner. We would hold a formal dinner for guest and give away the donations. During this time I realize, how my passion for hospitality has grown and the difference I could make. After finishing college, I moved to Providence, RI where I had the opportunity to manage a hotel property. My ownership was so impressed that they wanted me to take over their new location in Marlborough, MA. After spending, 3 or 4 years we decided to move south closer to family. At this time, we purchased a property giving me my first experience in renovation in Durant, OKC. After completion of work, I received an offer to manage a property in Dallas, TX where I managed my full service hotel. I had to quickly learn manage a restaurant, bar, meeting, conferences, and weddings at the age of 22.
This is where I began networking with community leaders and chamber. After successfully working for a couple of years, I moved to Buffalo, NY to be closer to my father who was diagnosed with cancer in Toronto. It would give me an opportunity to go back and forth to visit every weekend. In buffalo, I managed two hotels and renovated them simultaneously in Dunkirk, NY. At this point, I felt I needed a break from hospitality and revisited my jewelry and returned to TN where I worked as a jewelry for two years. This gave me a break from hotel industry.
In 2012, one of my previous employer, requested to move back to Marlborough where I have been ever since. This was also ideal due to my father’s health becoming critical. I Became a Certified Personal Training for National Academy of Sports Medicine practicing for 2 years. At of all of the places I lived, New England is a place I call home. After my father’s passing, I zeroed in on my career in operations and sales, increasing revenue and service scores. In 2017 I became a license Realtor in the state of Massachusetts. I pursue hotel management and real estate at the same time. Future goals are to get into hotel property management and use my experience to help others while I gain personal growth from them.
I spend my time networking with business owners and entrepreneurs going to hotels doing projects and giving advice. Branding myself as a resource. I find myself hands on, motivating and engaging employees. I believe training never ends. I believe it is important. Now my work has begun with EXIT reality where they believe my goals and values are the same. I am a fulltime Hotel General Manager, License Realtor for the state of Massachusetts, and Hotel Visionary for Vison Hotel Consultants.
I’ve received the nickname “Sunny Boston”. I engaged with my employees and customers to get a smooth operations and highest profit possible. I’m also a reality putting my clients first and creating lasting relationships. Consulting in operations also helping different hotel address guest service and maintenance issues. My goal is to become a hotelier and my experience has lead me to become a realtor where I feel at home as well. My passion for relationship building and helping work with both. Our uniqueness, our service culture sets up apart. I’m a part of a growing real estate firm who shares the same value as us. I again a journey as a Realtor with Exit Beacon Pointe Realty in Northborough, MA and Vision Hotel Consulting.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some of the struggles along the way have been finding resources and mentors in the hotel industry. Training programs are still growing. There is also a difference with newer generations and older. I found that it was important to find a way to connect to both. Commutation is always been important to me which is why I learn Spanish so I may communicate fluently with hotel staff.
Vision Hotel Consultants, EXIT Beacon Pointe Realty, and Quality Inn of Marlborough – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Vision Consultants Established in 2016, Vision consultant’s modern take on hotel operations and revenue management closes the gap between new and old traditions to pursue excellence. We specialize in all aspects of hotel operations, sales, revenue management, renovation and development. We also have in house realtors to help owners with property acquisition. Using the same culture establish by Sunny Boston proven to show results. Servicing all of US.
Director of Sales and Operations – Quality Inn Marlborough 12 years.
EXIT Beacon Pointe Realty – REALTOR (Serving Massachusetts)
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Being requested to do an interview with Boston Voyager. Being recognized for hard work in an industry where employee recognition is not as common.
Contact Info:
- Website: WWW.YSPREALTY.COM
- Phone: 6178045559
- Email: YSPREALTY@GMAIL.COM
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunny.boston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YSPrealty/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ysprealty
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnyboston/
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