Murphy – Ulkesh Desai has always been a hard worker. Born in India in 1960, he and his family moved to the United States in 1985.
Once arriving, he worked in the dry cleaning as well as convenience store industries. However, in 1998, Desai and his wife, Hina, purchased the Best Western Hotel on Andrews Road.
Saturday marks the business’ 25th anniversary.
Desai said he got in to the hotel business when he was 29 because his uncle was involved in it.
“We have met so many different types of people from the United States and all over the world,” he said. “We get to know the many different cultures being here.”
When COVID-19 hit, there was a drop in occupancy rates. However, they’ve come back around and are serving customers as before.
“It was a hard time, but we made it through,” Desai said.
In 2013, Desai and his brother, Chetan Desai, bought the Days Inn of Murphy. That business will be celebrating its 10th anniversary Monday, July 3.
The hotels have received President’s and Chairman’s awards for providing outstanding performance, going above and beyond to give exceptional customer service and a superior guest experience. They are in the top tier, 20 percent, for their brands.
Desai is a member of the Andrews and Cherokee County Chambers of Commerce, while he and his brother are both members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association.
“We want to thank the town of Murphy and the community for supporting us so well,” he said.
The Desai family is also grateful for their staff and appreciate the hard work they do.
“I’m very fortunate to have two hotels in the town of Murphy. We work really hard to make everything successful every day,” Desai said.
“I’m proud of my staff. They come in and do their jobs every day without making excuses.”
The general manager of the Best Western, MaryKatherine Smyth, smiled and said, “It’s a nice hotel, and Ulkesh is a really nice guy to work with.”
When the Desai family – Ulkesh and Hina have two grown children – is not working, they enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and walking.