J.R. Patel is Founder and President of RELAX, Inc., a Roanoke, Virginia Hotelier, which was incorporated in 1980. RELAX, Inc. presently owns and operates ten hotels. J.R. lived in England for twelve years and Canada for seven years before immigrating to the US in 1978. He is an active member of Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife, Kantaben, have two sons.