Spotlight
15
ike the narrator in Robert Frost’s
“The Road Not Taken,” Dhar and
Babita Patel, when founding their
hotel amenities direct supply
company Hospitality1, took the path
less travelled. Like the poem, they were
better off for it.
The Indian-turned-British-
turned-American couple began their
entrepreneurial journey in 2004,
supplying television sets to a few hotels
in the U.S. Today, Hospitality1 is among
the top hotel amenity suppliers in the
country, offering a range of products,
including commercial TVs, PTAC/
AC/VTAC units, compact fridges and
microwaves, appliances, mattresses and
more.
Their success may have stemmed
from a family background in hospitality.
Or simply, the couple said, it was
perseverance and a belief that they could
fill a gap in the amenity supply market.
In truth, a mix of timing, experience and
opportunity helped shape their path.
“Dhar had experience managing his
family’s motel business, investing in
franchise properties and helping his
parents retire,” Babita said. “In the early
2000s, the hospitality industry wasn’t
ready for new technology. At that time,
Dhar was approached by a company that
wanted to introduce plasma TV units
into hotels. So, we pivoted.”
In 2004, the couple bought out the
company that had approached them and
started Hospitality1—then known as
HospitalityLCD—selling TVs to hoteliers.
Business spark
Dhar’s family is from Degama in Tapi
district and Babita’s from Vaghech
in Surat, Gujarat, India. His family
moved to the United Kingdom and
lived in Luton before settling in Duarte,
California, in 1976. Babita’s family also
immigrated to the UK, living in London
before moving to Dallas, Texas, in 1978.
“Dhar and I were introduced in 1995
by aunts who had married into each of
our families,” Babita said. “After getting
to know each other, we decided to get
married in 1996. Both of our families
had come from England and invested in
motels, so we both grew up working in
the hotel business. When we decided to
start a family, I gradually transitioned
and started a telemarketing company
that focused on real estate leads for my
partner and equipment financing leads
for Dhar.”
Before becoming an entrepreneur,
Dhar worked for an equipment finance
company that was later acquired by
American Express. There, he helped
build the equipment finance division and
connected with AAHOA, which offered
financing options for FF&E, and they
have continued that relationship to this
day. Babita worked in the marketing
department of the same company.
During a renovation at the Aloha Hotel
in Long Beach, California, one of his
family’s hotels, Dhar saw a clear gap in
the amenity supply process. He realized
how time-consuming and difficult it was
to source products and services. With
his background in equipment finance
and experience in his family's motel
business, he and Babita were confident
they could meet this need.
That was when the couple decided to
address it by offering hotel amenities
tailored to brand standards and
budgets, allowing hoteliers to choose
from a curated portfolio. They started
www.asianhospitality.com
July 2025 | Issue 238
Dhar Patel and Babita Patel, founders of hotel amenities direct supply company Hospitality1, man
their booth at a recent tradeshow.
Doing business on demand
Dhar and Babita Patels
turned hotel experience
into Hospitality1
Dhar and Babita Patel, founders of hotel amenities direct supply company Hospitality1, man their
booth at a recent tradeshow.