Jay Kumar

Based in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Jay Kumar is a third-generation hotelier with a passion for entrepreneurship. Unlike some professionals, who merely value the flexibility afforded by running their own businesses, Jay values the opportunity to guide others toward achieving their goals, no matter if they are professional or personal.

Jay's appreciation for his employees was instilled in him by his father and grandmother, who set prime examples for Jay and his siblings as they came of age. As such, Jay strives to be the best version of himself for his teams, ensuring he leads them with passion and pride every day. This approach has reaped great rewards, such as awards and recognitions from some of the largest hotel associations in the world.

He has won several industry awards, including, but not limited to the Torch-Bearer Award & Newcomer of the Year Award from Intercontinental Hotels Group when he was just 17-18 years old. Jay has also led his team to receive the Wyndham franchise award-Best of Wingate in 2017, a hotel JNK Hotel Management still operates. Jay advocates along with AAHOA to aid in eradicating human trafficking and other major industry-related crimes. Companies Jay represents currently own multiple properties in Southwest Louisiana & Southeast Texas, but he is never too busy to stop looking for new opportunities.

Jay Kumar sees some exciting technological changes on the horizon. The biggest changes to the industry so far have been a leaning towards mobile check-ins/outs and robust methods of gathering guest feedback to create a stronger impression on each visit as the industry grows. Virtual assistants and “pocket concierges” are also being used to take room service orders and to give local suggestions for entertainment or dining or even medical emergencies. Augmented reality is being incorporated into signs to guide customers to specific locations, and facial recognition and biometric tools can now generate facial IDs, eliminating the need for room keys and allowing guests to authenticate in house purchases without wallets. Jay knows the connected guest of the future will want a fully personalized, digital interaction with their hotel. He looks forward to incorporating such elements into his own properties as they become more accessible.

To learn more about Jay Kumar and his professional pursuits, be sure to visit his website.