PRESIDENT

In 2011 Vic Patel entered the hospitality game with his first hotel purchased in Auburn, AL.  Within a nine-year span, Vic has owned and managed several hotels in the state of Alabama and Georgia.  One area Vic has been very successful, the acquisitions of venues needing love.  He has purchased such properties, given them the attention they needed through renovations both physically and financially and able to resell them for a profit. Vic is quickly creating a legacy of leaving neglected properties running and looking better than ever.

With the creation of Auburn Hospitality, Vic has been able to grow his management portfolio to include brands like IHG, Marriott, Choice Hotels, LaQuinta, and Wyndham Hotels, just to name a few.  He has expanded his portfolio to new construction with several properties in the planning phase.  Mr. Patel is constantly looking to acquire additional venues to grow, expand, improve, and bring back to life.  Each property offers unique, sometimes challenging, ventures.  But the one common goal is always to provide personal attention to the needs, wants and expectations of every guests.

VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS

Doug is a native of Virginia and relocated to the beautiful Auburn area in 2016.  He began his career in the hospitality field over 14 years ago after a long career working for the State of Virginia.  He quickly found that he thoroughly enjoyed working in this challenging field because each day brought with it another opportunity to make a difference for a guest or team member.

Through a very strict work ethic that he was taught in early life, he quickly became noticed for his skills and advanced from a Front Desk agent to a General Manager position.  During his first year he succeeded in making this hotel an Gold Award Winning property with Marriott.  From there he began the task of taking on many troubled and neglected properties that would be in need of renovation and restructuring of operations Doug is certified through three major hotel brands Marriott, Hilton and IHG and possesses the knowledge and expertise to manage several hotel properties concurrently and the ability to continue to be an effective leader for others.

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SALES

As Senior Director of Sales, Ashley brings a vast amount of experience in sales, leadership, and training to a portfolio of hotels where she has oversight of sales and marketing strategies. She joins Auburn Hospitality with over 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry with brands such as Marriott, Hilton and IHG. Prior to joining Auburn Hospitality, she spent 5 years with Daly Hotel Management as Regional Director of Sales for the southeast.

Ashley resides in Auburn, Alabama with her husband, 2 sons and dog Lola. When she is not cheering on the Auburn Tigers, you will find her at Lake Martin or at the beach with her friends and family.  

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Julie (Jules) Mewes is the Director of Operations over the IHG hotels (HIEX Opelika, HIEX Auburn, and Candlewood).  Julie brings over 20 years of experience in Hospitality and Real Estate, most recently serving as Director of Operations for Summit Investments Group & Fort Payne Lodgings in the Gadsden and Fort Payne area. Julie attended Emory University and has previously held the position of President of the Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce and on the Board of Directors of the Fort Payne Kiwanis Club. In her “spare time” she enjoys traveling, cooking, reading, and music.

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Matt is the Director of Operations over the Fairfield Opelika, Hampton Opelika, and Hampton Auburn hotels. Matt attended Troy University and has worked his way up through the hospitality ranks over the last 16 years, serving in various leadership roles in the Auburn/Opelika, Columbus/Phenix City, and Columbia, SC markets. He has extensive experience with the Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Choice brands, and his hotels have won a number of brand awards over the years, including Marriott Overall Satisfaction Award, Marriott Chairman’s Award, and Marriott Hotel of the Year.

TASK FORCE MANAGER

Herman brings over 16 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. His experience includes holding prior roles from Bellman to General Manager and everything in between. His industry Brand experience is vast, as he has worked for IHG, Marriott, Wyndham, and Choice Hotels. Herman began his career with Auburn Hospitality as the General Manger for Microtel. He was awarded 4 Employee of the month with IHG, Employee of the year at the Sheraton and recently General Manager of the Year for 2021. In early 2022, Herman was promoted to the role of Task Manager which includess managing the daily operations, budgets, staffing, and revenue for two Auburn Hospitality properties.

In his free time Herman is a community softball coach for a local high school as well as a girls travel softball team. He enjoys spending time with his extended family which includes three sisters, 3 daughters and one son. Herman is hard working and extremally dedicated to exceeding the expectations of each hotel guest.

CONTROLLER

Nilam Patel is the Controller for AU Hospitality. She has 10 plus years in the hospitality industry and a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance. She worked as a Front Desk Agent and General Accountant before moving into the Controller position in July of 2018. Her roles include A/R, A/P, and Manages Financial Statements for all the properties.

FINANCE MANAGER

Dhruv is an Auburn University Alumni, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. He brings several years of public and corporate accounting experience from working with Georgia Pacific, Grant Thornton, and The Walt Disney Company. Dhruv's role with Auburn Hospitality will oversee Bookkeeping, Accounts Reconciliation, Property/Lodging Taxes and preparing accurate and timely Financials. Dhruv's responsibilities as Investor Relations manager will encompass providing strategic and financial communications between our corporate management and our investors for current and future opportunities.

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Sharon is a native of Opelika, and had recently moved back to the area when she came to Auburn Hospitality. She brings more than 25 years of Human Resource Management experience, having previously held Human Resources leadership roles in the financial, telecommunications, and healthcare industries. She earned her Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI), and is an active and long-standing member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).

Sharon holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Human Resources Management, from Colorado Technical University. She is also a strong advocate for children in foster care, victims of human trafficking, and animal-related causes and charities.

CHIEF ENGINEER

PROCUREMENT MANAGER

With 10 plus years of experience in the hospitality industry and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Columbus State University Sam Patel brings a wealth of knowledge to AUHospitality as the Procurement Manger. Sam started his career in hospitality by working as a front desk agent for the Econolodge in Columbus, Georiga. In 2012 he took a position as the General Manager for Quality Inn in Alexander City, Alabama. In 2014 Sam began working with AUHospitatily. His roles include overseeing of food, beverage and hotel supplies. He also plays a part in helping to manage costs by streamlining ordering and working with vendors to achieve the lowest price points possible.

QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGER

Julie began her career with Auburn Hospitality as a general manager, before moving into the role of Quality Assurance Manager. She has over 30 years of hotel management experience and in her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends.

ONLINE RELATIONSHIP MANAGER

Zach came to Auburn Hospitality with several years of experience in the Hospitality industry.  He was quickly promoted into the Front Desk Manager position, where he served at our Candlewood Suites hotel in Auburn for three years, before bringing his hotel knowledge and expertise to Human Resources as Human Resources Assistant. Most recently, Zach has been promoted to Online Relationship Manager, where he is responsible for maintaining our online presence and responses to guest online reviews and comments.

REVENUE MANAGER

Yash is a native of Opelika, graduating from Opelika High School in 2015. He holds a bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management and Business Administration from Auburn University. He has over 5 years of experience in the hospitality industry. His previous work experience comes from front office positions with Marriott International at the Sheraton in Birmingham, AL and Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, AL. He has a earned his Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) from the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA). Yash's roles include rate management, demand forecasting, distribution strategy, yield operations, and revenue analysis. Yash enjoys playing tennis and visiting the lake and beach in his free time. 

AUDIT SPECIALIST

Robert brings many years of audit experience in the hotel industry. He began his career with Auburn Hospitality as a Night Auditor and within a year grew into the role of Audit Specialist for the entire company. Robert manages the third party reservation services reconciliations, chargebacks, and all troubleshooting with regard to the audit function.