“Our franchise partners are at the heart of every strategic decision we make,” said Sonal Sinha, G6 CEO. “This national seminar program invests in their success, safety and long-term growth. Through expert-led training modules, attendees gain practical knowledge on guest verification, incident response, local law enforcement collaboration, compliance requirements and best practices that protect their business, employees and guests.”
In October, three Indian American hoteliers—two in Charlotte, North Carolina, and one in Pittsburgh—were killed within 72 hours in separate incidents. In Charlotte, Anilkumar Patel and Pankaj Patel, both 54, were shot dead on Oct. 2 at the Lamplighter Inn Motel, which had been closed for about a year, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. The next day, Rakesh Patel, 51, a motel manager and partner in Pittsburgh, was shot dead, Times of India reported.
The incidents came a month after another Indian motel manager, Chandra Mouli “Bob” Nagamallaiah, 50, was killed at his workplace in Dallas.
With hotels across the U.S. facing criminal activity such as human trafficking, narcotics and identity fraud, the program is a coordinated, industry-backed safety and security initiative for the economy lodging segment, the statement said. It provides franchise owners, general managers and frontline staff with protocols, law-enforcement-aligned practices and guidance to address the evolving safety landscape in hospitality.
Professionals from Texas, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin attended the launch.
Scott Joslove, THLA’s president and CEO, said the program is based on actual cases, legal requirements and operational realities.
“Our goal is to equip hotel teams with clarity—what to look for, what to do and how to work seamlessly with public safety agencies,” he said.
In November, Ritesh Agarwal, founder and CEO of PRISM, parent of OYO and G6 Hospitality in the U.S., joined the THLA board to apply his experience in technology-driven hospitality to the association’s initiatives.
