Meet the Team

The People Behind BPR

In less than five decades, BPR grew from a one-hotel operation into one of the West Coast’s top hotel management companies. We didn’t, however, do it alone. Over the years, our company has worked with some incredible people — we still do. We think they’re our greatest strength, and we hope that you get to know them better.

B.B. Patel

Chairman

Team member since 1973

B.B. Patel is a man of many talents: He's a registered engineer in the State of California, and helped found a pair of banks in his 25-plus years in the financial industry. His passion, though, lies in hospitality and real estate. Since founding BPR in 1973, B.B. has purchased, restored, and renovated a number of historic hotels. Today, he mainly focuses on strategic growth, finance, and acquisitions.

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Perry Patel

President and CEO

Team member since 2005

Since earning a pair of master's degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and Cornell University, Perry Patel has seen his star steadily rise. But despite being named one of the Silicon Valley Business Journal's "40 under 40" in 2012, he hasn't let success get to his head: Perry partners with a handful of local organizations, and opened a scholarship fund at his alma mater alongside his father, B.B.

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Rita Parasnis

Partner

Team member since 2005

Rita Parasnis brings a one-of-a-kind resume to BPR Hotels: Since graduating from UC Berkeley in 1995, she's gone on to accumulate over 15 years of managerial experience in the high-tech and hospitality sectors. Rita's worked for and with companies as large as Oracle and other startup companies. Here, she's already helped establish uniform accounting, analytical, and operational practices; we're excited to see what the future holds.

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Geoffrey Sarabia-Mason

Vice President of Operations

Team member since 2018

Next to B.B., Geoffrey is our most experienced partner. Over the last 30 years, he's filled a variety of roles, all the way up to the corporate level, for established and upstart hospitality groups alike. When he's not motivating his teammates, he loves traveling with his husband and young daughter: Odds are, you can find him hiking one of California's many trails or road-tripping along its coast.

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John Searby

Senior Director of Finance

Team member since 2018

John is a senior finance executive with 25+ years hotel and hospitality industry experience. He brings a unique perspective on real estate investment and hotel operations thanks to his extensive background working with owners, developers and resort operators across all segments of the industry. Originally from the U.K., he started his hospitality career as a resort Financial Controller in Australia.

Having moved from Colorado in 2019, John and his wife are enjoying discovering all that northern California has to offer. They share a passion for travel and for the great outdoors, and when not working, John can be found hiking, mountain biking or playing soccer (covid permitting).

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Liza Guinto

Corporate Director of HR

Team member since 2018

True to heart an East Coast gal who graduated from Rutgers University is also a diehard Yankees baseball fan - ”Go Yanks!”. She now calls California home!

Red Lion Hotels was where her “HR calling” first happened over 30 years ago. This journey has taken her through the different hospitality industries specifically in hotels, restaurants, and retail. She is very proud of her Filipino heritage, as well as, a proud Mom of college twins.

Her biggest wish is to be part of a world where people see each other’s worth! #BPRPROUD

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