Wise Beyond his Years, AGA CEO

At an age when most budding hoteliers are gaining exposure to the industry through classes, internships, and summer jobs, Armaan Patel is managing a portfolio of more than 25 hotels in the Los Angeles area as CEO of AGA Essentials. He is also growing AGA Hotels—a hotel brand he cofounded with his cousin, Yash Desai, four years ago, when he was only 16.

Patel, who is also a student at Chapman University—mainly to please his mother—recently shared with LODGING details of this already remarkable journey, one that began as an idea during the pandemic shutdown.