January 18, 2023 – Columbus, GA – Rinkesh and Mitesh Patel, co-founders of RAM Hotels – which develops, owns, and manages more than two dozen Marriott, Hilton, and IHG hotels in Georgia and Alabama – today announced the addition of hotel veteran Jonathan D. Bogatay, CHA, as president of the company effective February 1.
Bogatay will oversee RAM Hotels’ strategic, operational, tactical, financial, and cultural expectations.
“Bringing Jonathan into the RAM Hotels team enables us to focus our energies on expanding strategic acquisitions and development beyond Georgia and Alabama. As we look for new opportunities throughout the southeast, Jonathan will focus on enhancing our best-in-class systems and processes that drive company performance,” said the Patels in a joint statement.
Rinkesh Patel, CEO, added, “We’re excited to welcome Jonathan to the RAM team; it shows our commitment to empowering our associates, improving our existing management and operational efficiencies, and delivering value for investors. His proven track record of long-term success and team development, in addition to the strong relationships he has formed with brand partners and industry experts, will surely drive growth of our company and our associates.”
“I have always been focused on the people part of the business and anticipate my team will benefit from Jonathan’s leadership as an experienced, dedicated, and supportive resource,” said Mitesh Patel, COO. “I am confident that Jonathan will create additional opportunities to invest in our people and infrastructure to ensure we are consistently driving improvement across all our Key Performance Indicators.”
Bogatay, who intersected with the Patels in his current role as president of the Courtyard Franchise Advisory Council, said, “After retiring from NCG Hospitality back in November 2022, my intention was simply to do some consulting and focus on other aspects of my life. However, after meeting with Rinkesh and Matt, all of that changed. I was completely captivated by the Patels’ passion for excellence and knew I wanted to be a part of making their vision come alive. I am looking forward to leveraging my 40-plus years of hospitality industry experience with the RAM Hotels team and working alongside another family business as together we build upon their foundation of success.”
About Jonathan D. Bogatay, CHA, President, RAM Hotels
Bogatay joined RAM Hotels in February 2023 following a successful two-decade career culminating as CEO of Wisconsin-based North Central Group (NCG). Prior to joining NCG in 1999, Bogatay held several senior management positions with various lodging owners, operators, and developers, and early on in his career worked for Promus Hotel Corporation, now part of Hilton Worldwide.
He currently serves as president of the Courtyard Franchise Advisory Council and is an ad hoc member of the Hampton Brand Owner Advisory Council. He is also a member of LIIC, the Lodging Industry Investment Council. Bogatay has also served as chairman of the Hilton Garden Inn Franchise Advisory Council; member of Hampton Hotels’ “Make it Hampton” Brand Strategy and Operations Committee; and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Madison (WI) Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. He is also a past member of the AH&LA Council of Inn & Suites and, also, served as a member of the organization’s Legislative Action Committee.
Bogatay’s passion for the hospitality industry and the Marriott, Hilton and IHG family of brands mirrors his commitment to both his new RAM Hotels family and to his own. In his spare time, Jonathan collects and restores classic muscle cars from the 1960s and 1970s, is an avid reader, a recreational golfer, and particularly loves supporting people on their individual journey of becoming the best version of themselves. He freely gives of his time in support of several charitable causes important to him and his family including the Literacy Network, United Way, and Feeding America.
