Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 14
AAHOA SPOTLIGHT
ISHWAR
NARAN
President and CEO,
Premier Resorts and
Management, Inc. (PRM)
by KATE VIANA
T
HOUGH HIS CONSIDERable success would suggest otherwise, Ishwar
Naran never intended
to join the hospitality
industry. After earning a degree in civil engineering from
India's University of Birla VishwaKarma
Mahavidyalaya, Naran found his way
to the United States, where he hoped to
start an engineering career.
Instead, he became a hotelier.
Naran was one of AAHOA's earliest members and became one of the
first-ever lifetime members of AAHOA
in 1992. Two years later, he founded
Premier Resorts and Management,
Inc. (PRM). Throughout the ensuing
three-plus decades, he developed,
acquired and managed more than 30
hotels. Without a hospitality-industry
background, he says, getting started was
a challenge.
"I never really had a mentor, but I did
have my business partner and brotherin-law, Mohan Bhoola," Naran says. "He
inspired me and helped me succeed in
this industry, [and] taught me... about
the business."
Today, Naran is PRM's president and
CEO, overseeing acquisitions, development, operations and sales. His
son, Samir, is second in command as
executive vice president. Together
they manage an impressive portfolio of
properties throughout the southeastern
United States.
In May, after 16 years as a Best Western
franchisee, Naran was elected to the
prestigious Best Western Hotels and
Resorts Board of Directors. He currently
owns four Best Western properties (three
14 | OCTOBER 2016 | TODAYSHOTELIER.COM
in Florida and one in South Carolina)
and has served in an advisory capacity
within the organization throughout his
membership.
"After joining [Best Western], I found
that I really enjoyed the fact that it was
a membership organization," Naran said
in a statement earlier this year. "Serving
on the board of directors will allow me
to give back to Best Western and to
the industry that has been so good to
my family."
After so many years in the business,
Naran has a lot of wisdom to share. He
underwent financial trial by fire during recessions in the 1980s and early
1990s, which taught him the value of
prudence even when business is on
the upswing.
"I have been fortunate to never hit bottom in this industry," he admits. Even in
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Today's Hotelier - October 2016
Letter From the Chairman
Letter From the President & CEO
News Bytes
AAHOA Spotlight
Best Western’s New Frontier
Government Affairs
The Uneven Playing Field: Hotels & Airbnb
Finding Opportunity in the Old
Development & Renovation
Living Legends: Wisdom From Industry Trailblazers
Finance Q&A
The Latest Tech Tools for Hospitality
Guest Experience
AAHOA Events
AAHOA Founding Members
AAHOA Vendor Partners
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - cover1
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - cover2
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 3
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 4
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 5
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 6
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 7
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - Letter From the Chairman
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 9
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - Letter From the President & CEO
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 11
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - News Bytes
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 13
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - AAHOA Spotlight
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 15
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 16
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 17
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - Best Western’s New Frontier
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 19
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 20
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 21
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 22
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 23
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - Government Affairs
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 25
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 26
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 27
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 28
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 29
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - The Uneven Playing Field: Hotels & Airbnb
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 31
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 32
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 33
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 34
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 35
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - Development & Renovation
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 37
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 38
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 39
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 40
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 41
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - Living Legends: Wisdom From Industry Trailblazers
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 43
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 44
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 45
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 46
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 47
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 48
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 49
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - Finance Q&A
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 51
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 52
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 53
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - The Latest Tech Tools for Hospitality
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 55
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 56
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 57
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - Guest Experience
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 59
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 60
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 61
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - AAHOA Events
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 63
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - AAHOA Founding Members
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 65
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - AAHOA Vendor Partners
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 67
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 68
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 69
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 70
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 71
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 72
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 73
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 74
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 75
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 76
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - Classifieds
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 78
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 79
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 80
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 81
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 82
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 83
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 84
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 85
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - Advertiser Index
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - cover3
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - cover4
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - outsert1
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - outsert2
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 91
Today's Hotelier - October 2016 - 92
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