Buggsi Patel Wins Prestigious Kemmons Wilson Award
(Atlanta, Georgia) The IHG Owners Association, which represents InterContinental Hotels Group® (IHG) franchise hotel owners worldwide, recently awarded Mr. Bakulesh “Buggsi” Patel, President and CEO of Portland, Oregon-based BHG Hotels with its prestigious Kemmons Wilson Service Award. IHG Owners Association 2017 Chair Allen Fusco presented Buggsi with this esteemed honor during the IHG Americas Conference held in Las Vegas on June 19.
Created in honor of the late hospitality pioneer and Holiday Inn® founder, the Kemmons Wilson Award is bestowed upon an individual who has significantly contributed to the Association for the betterment of the entire IHG system. This honor is awarded to an Association member or an IHG executive who has exemplified Kemmons’ spirit and made a difference for IHG-brand owners. Buggsi is the 15th recipient of this esteemed award, preceded most recently by Gerhard Finster of ARCADIA Group Stuttgart who was honored at the IHG Europe Conference in March 2017.
“We are thrilled to recognize Buggsi with this prestigious accolade,” says Fusco. “Buggsi’s contributions and dedication to the Association aligns with the Kemmons Wilson Award criteria perfectly. Throughout Buggsi’s career he has operated hotels with high quality standards and displayed best practices in all areas of hotel operations – and his dedication to the Association is greatly appreciated.”
With a long and distinguished career in the hospitality industry, Buggsi served as 2014 Chair of the IHG Owners Association -- the first Asian American to lead the Association. He continues to be actively involved and is currently the Chair of the Association’s Past Chairman’s Council. He has held leadership roles in other numerous lodging associations, most notably the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the Washington Lodging Association and the Oregon Lodging Association (OLA). He is CEO and President of Oregon-based BHG Hotels.