Virginia Beach hotel owner, driven by community, eyes opportunity to leave legacy in resort area

Forty years ago at the age of 22, Harshad K. Barot traveled almost 8,000 miles in search of a good and prosperous life.

In 1994, he found it at the end of Interstate 264, in the first hotel you cast eyes upon as you enter the Virginia Beach resort area.

Barot and his two brothers, Bharat K. Barot and Ashvin K. Barot, own the Ambassadors Inn & Suites, a four-story, 97-room hotel on 21st Street adjacent to the Virginia Beach Convention Center, just five blocks from the Boardwalk.

And it is that 2.6 acres of prime commercial real estate that his hotel sits on that has led to on and off talks with the city throughout the years.

“They had a plan to buy my hotel for future development,” he said, noting the Envision Virginia Beach 2040 plan.

While they have yet to see eye to eye on the price tag, Barot believes his property marks the ideal spot for a Virginia Beach headquarters hotel.

“To support the convention center, you have to have a headquarters hotel,” he said.

Barot envisions a 300-room hotel with an ample 2,500-space parking lot, revered as the “gateway to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront,” where his business is located.

Open to a long-term private investor, Barot said he is anxious to make a deal, but knows that patience is a virtue and will wait for the right time and right price.

“I want to make sure it’s something that is good for the city of Virginia Beach, and I would like to have my legacy,” he said.

___

Humble beginnings

A native of Mumbai, India, Barot made the journey to the U.S. in 1983 to work as a busboy at a Marriott in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Embodying both a strong work ethic and the importance of teamwork early on, Barot also worked in the hotel’s accounting office. Within a short time, he earned the distinctions of employee of the month and year — standing out among its 310 employees.

When Barot’s uncle invited him to manage an Econo Lodge in Portsmouth, he relocated to Hampton Roads.

Nine years later, feeling well-versed in the industry, Barot and several partners purchased the hotel on 21st Street, a former Quality Inn built in 1983, at an auction for $1.3 million.

All the while, Barot and his wife, Swati, made Virginia Beach their home, raising their now-grown sons, Hardik, 35, and Manav, 31, in their new homeland.

The couple make a dynamic team at the hotel with Barot handling the finances, renovations and public relations while his wife of 38 years is in charge of sales, marketing and front desk operations.

___

Growing a hotel

He and his two brothers bought out the partners in the hotel in 2000. Barot said as of today, the family-owned hotel and property are worth between $18 million to $22 million.

The seasonal business stays busy in June, July and August, Barot said.

“Business this year was a little bit less than what we did last year and the year before,” he said. “2021 was one of the best years of my life.”

During the off-season, the hotel offers 10% of its units, through the city at a discounted rate, as a haven for those in need of temporary shelter.

January to March 2022, Barot said the city rented out every single room.

“I feel good about doing something good for the community,” he said. “This is about more than money.”

Barot said the hotel employs about 20 people during the height of the season, but labor has been the biggest challenge within the industry.

Elevated material costs have brought on additional stressors, which in turn affects the profit margin.

In June, Barot leased the hotel’s restaurant — formerly used for its in-house breakfast but vacant for the past four years — to El Charro, a newly opened Mexican restaurant.

___

Community involvement

Barot believes strongly in the place he has called home since embarking on his immigration. He has made a name for himself in all facets of city government, banking and the local business community.

“I like to help the city and do something good for the city,” he said. “I like to help the community, and I like to help the people.”

Akhil Jain, president of Landmark Hotel Group, said Barot has a wonderful reputation, both as a devoted family man and for his devotion to the community.

“He is very vocal about where changes need to happen and is a facilitator of getting things done,” Jain said.

In 2013, Barot was selected by the City Council as a Minority Business Council member and held that seat for eight terms.

Dawn Glynn, corporate services group president and chief experience officer for TowneBank, said Barot is the consummate business partner.

“He has dedicated his career to investing and giving back to the region he loves,” she said.

Barot sits on the board of directors for TowneBank Portsmouth, the Virginia Beach Hotel Association, Green Run Collegiate high school, Virginia Beach Vision, the Tidewater Chapter for the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and the Virginia African American Cultural Center.

He was appointed in August by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to the Virginia Asian Advisory Board and the legislative Small Business Commission.

“My goal was to enroll in the community and do something good for everybody and anybody,” he said. “I want to make sure people are happy — just putting a smile on somebody’s face, that’s the goal of life.”

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@insidebiz.com