Hospitality | Tourism 2024: NEEL DESAI

Desai joined LTD Hospitality Group in 1998 as the second generation of the family-owned hotel development and management company co-founded by Desai’s father in 1983. As a managing principal, he oversees property management and the profitability of its portfolio

Following in those entrepreneurial footsteps, Desai in 2021 invested in Dallas-based fast food franchise Super Chix Chicken & Custard, opening two locations in Williamsburg and Chesapeake, with plans for eight more locations in Virginia. Additionally, he operates a Your Pie pizza restaurant location in Norfolk. His Super Chix and Your Pie locations were integrated into the LTD management portfolio in July. 

Desai is also CEO of YourSpace Extended Stay Hotels, a startup focused on modern extended stay hotels that “bridge the gap between a thoughtfully designed experience and an affordable stay.” The company broke ground in Chesapeake for the first YourSpace hotel in July, and plans other hotels in Suffolk and Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

Desai has a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from George Mason University and an MBA from Old Dominion University. He is a board member for Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Virginia.