National Report – When I met Mahavir and his brother, Dev for the first time, they were preparing to develop their first new lifestyle hotel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee – A market better known for pancake houses, Dolly Parton and Rustic Motels than advanced hospitality. It was not the typical framework of a daring company of hospitality, but that is what made him interesting.
These projects in the lifestyle space require creativity, foresight and a nuanced understanding of the evolutionary landscape of hospitality. While Mahavir and Dev may not have had years of experience in the lifestyle space, they stood out in other ways. Although they were barely 30 years old, they had an open mind, a creative vision and the pragmatism anchored of those who grew up in the trenches of the hotel sector. They approached the project with humility, a desire to learn and a clear determination to make their mark.
Their trip, like so many other second generation Indian hotels owners, reflects a broader history of grain, innovation and evolution. Their father, Bobby, started his own way to the property of the hotel after having moved from Mumbai to Tennessee in the 1980s. Determined to build a life in the United States, Bobby rolled up his sleeves and learned the hotel industry of his uncle, who had an econolodge.
Bobby started at the bottom, doing everything, from maintenance to housekeeping maintenance through reception operations, before managing an econolodge of 100 rooms. In 1992, ready to invest in his first hotel and with his first child, Mahavir, on the way, Bobby and his wife borrowed money from the family, moved into a single hotel room and managed their independent motel 24/7.
Each dollar profit has returned to repay their loan. Over time, their life arrangement of a room behind the reception has increased to three, while the company (and their families) developed slowly. But the story of Bobby was not unique. What was going on in its corner of Tennessee – families pooling resources, sharing responsibilities and teaching business to Indian families – occurred through the United States. Today, US Indian families hold more than 55% of the country’s hotel rooms. However, American Indian hoteliers have rarely been recognized as innovators. Meanwhile, India has produced some of the most visionary reception brands in the world – Taj, Oberoi, Leela – known for world class service and customer innovation.
However, Bobby did not want his children in hotels. Like many Asian American parents (and I can say it from personal experience), the property of the hotel was not part of the “golden trio” of the quarries – doctoral student, lawyer, engineer. Mahavir initially threw his goal to become a chief, but pivoted in the supply chain and the general contracts after realizing that the chances were stacked against his culinary dreams.
A construction course at Blackberry Farm – just 30 miles from his home, but far from the ecacolodges of his youth – has changed everything. At Blackberry Farm, Mahavir has seen hospitality in a new light – revised, experiential and rooted in the narration. It was not only heads in the beds; It was a question of making something memorable. Mahavir was hung and decided that he wanted to transform the heritage of his family.
When Mahavir announced his intention to take control of the family business, Bobby had firm advice: “Not.”
Despite the resistance, Mahavir has left her salaried position and shaded his father for a year, absorbing every detail of the company. His brother, Dev, quickly followed his traces. Slowly, they won the confidence of their families, implementing standardized procedures, income management strategies and accounting systems to build a stronger and more profitable portfolio. But the brothers had more important ambitions than optimizing operations. Mahavir’s experience in Blackberry Farm and their proximity to markets like Nashville and Asheville convinced them that Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in Tennessee were ready for a rebirth of hospitality.
Mahavir and Dev ceded properties that did not correspond to their vision and converted two motels into lifestyle style hotels: the Rocky Waters Inn, a 36 -room shop property in Gatlinburg which opened its doors in 2024, and The WayBack , a tribute portfolio hotel in Pireon Forgee, a rethought motel of 134 rooms, which was recently appointed one of the 100 best places in Time magazine to visit in 2024.
This distinction was not only the validation of their hard work; It was proof that even traditionally neglected markets could raise their offers. They also recognized the value of the partnership with global brands such as small luxury hotels in the world and the tribute portfolio for sales and marketing to amplify visibility. At the same time, they understand the importance of maintaining a balanced portfolio. They develop a Home2 suites in Gatlinburg, improving it with a complex style swimming pool to respond to families who visit the region several times. By balancing the lifestyle and the premium selected service hotels, they guarantee long -term resilience while meeting the multiple needs of the market.
When I met Mahavir and Dev two years ago, they already planned the scoutl, a new portfolio hotel tribute to Gatlinburg – a daring step for a market previously defined by properties with limited service.
At the same time, they launched their investment company in stores, Aatmos – an investment house in stores that owns, develops and manages its properties. The name itself is a reflection of their approach. Inspired by “Aatma”, the Hindi word for the soul and “ethos”, the characteristic spirit of a culture, Aatmos is built on the idea of ​​connecting the heart of a destination with authentic expressions of its essence for Give life to hotel experiences raised to life.
I joked by saying that the grandchildren Mahavir and Dev had when I met them were a distraction tactic to occupy their parents while they reinvented the Aatmos portfolio, and Mahavir was. But in reality, they did not reinvent a wallet – they helped shape the next chapter of the property of the American Indian hotel.
For too long, the owners of American Indian hotels have been pigeonned like “Super 8 operators”, an excessive lazy and inaccurate simplification which does not recognize their innovation, their success and their contribution to the American hotel industry. Families like their redefined what it means to be a hotelier, proving that they are not only operators but visionaries.
Mahavir and Dev are part of the next generation proving that hoteliers are not defined by brand categories or obsolete perceptions, but by vision, adaptability and the ability to create significant customer experiences. They mix financial discipline with daring creativity, taking pragmatism that has created the success of their families and applying it to a new era of hospitality. And they are not alone.
We are working with more and more second -generation families – owners who are ready to evolve, rethink their strategies and push beyond traditional hotel models. They see the opportunity to create something different, and they kiss him with the same disc that built the success of their families in the first place.
It is not only an American Indian success – it is a success of hospitality. And it’s just starting.
Contributed by Yvette Jong, Director, Craft House Consulting, New York City