As principal of Prominence Hospitality Group, Zaid manages nearly $200 million in assets under management across the United States, with impressive growth since inception. Prior to joining Prominence Hospitality Group and it’s affiliate Bask Development, Zaid played an instrumental role at HVS Global Hospitality Services in their Chicago office, providing close to one billion dollars in consulting and valuation services for institutional investors, sovereign funds, REITs and Family Offices. Some of his key projects included The Langham Hotel, The Godfrey Hotel, Hyatt Loop Chicago, Radisson Blu Aqua Building and the Apple REIT 6 sale to Blackstone for $1.2 billion.

Zaid received his bachelor’s degree from DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business with a concentration in Hospitality Leadership & Lodging Management and a specialization in Real Estate Finance. He founded DePaul’s American Hotel & Lodging Association student chapter and the DePaul Hospitality Society. A past co-chair of the Alumni Relations subcommittee, Zaid currently serves on the Advisory Board of the DePaul University School of Hospitality Leadership. His continued involvement with the program awarded him as the 2014 recipient of DePaul University’s Alumni of the Year Award for the School of Hospitality Leadership. Zaid is also committed to secondary education, recently wrapping up a three-year term as a Trustee member of Elgin Academy, his alma mater. Zaid currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Asian American Coalition of Chicago, chairing the Lunar New Year Gala in 2017. The largest annual celebration for the Asian American community in the Midwest, the event brings more than 1,500 community and business leaders representing over 300 Asian American organizations and corporations together to raise funds for the 34 year-old not-for-profit. 

Recognized widely as a young leader in the industry, Zaid has been featured as an expert in the “Executive Roundtable Series” and quoted in Hotel Business Online, The Daily Herald and many local Chicago newspapers. He was named as one of Bisnow’s “Chicago Real Estate’s Rising Stars” and is a current member of the Emerging Leaders Network was an executive committee member of the Emerging Leaders Network for InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and sat on the IHG Global Technology Committee.

Dhaval Brahmbhatt began his career in hospitality in 1990 as an entry-level associate, quickly establishing a reputation for his innovative, flexible and hospitable approach. Gaining vast management experience across multiple hotel brands, Brahmbhatt served as a general manager of various multi-unit hotels, ranging from 100-500 keys, in Chicago, Minneapolis, New Jersey and Maryland. Brahmbhatt thrives in discovering ways to accelerate business growth and is noted for delivering outstanding guest experiences in the properties he has managed and developed.

Distinguished as a two-time ‘General Manager of the Year’ in 2004 and 2011, and a recipient of the Maryland Hotel & Lodging Association ‘Manager of the Year Award’ in 2017, Brahmbhatt unassumingly boasts an impressive list of industry accomplishments. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Northeastern Illinois University, earned while on a baseball scholarship. He is a graduate of the IHG Owners Association’s Leadership Institute held at Goizueta Business School-Emory University, and earned a Certified Hotel Administrator accreditation by the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Brahmbhatt is active in a number of community and industry organizations, previously selected as a member of the Emerging Leaders Council, an assembly of young emerging leaders selected through the IHG Owners Association. He is also a former member of the Board of Directors of the GLMV Chamber of Commerce in Illinois. 

A hospitality professional with diverse leadership experience in all aspects of operations, Patrick Palmer is a natural choice to manage Prominence Hospitality properties. Possessing an ability to drive results while achieving exceptional hotel performance, Palmer has a record of improving operational profitability, employee productivity and guest satisfaction through process optimization, quality assurance and team development.

In his nearly 20 years as a general manager with Spire Hospitality, Palmer successfully oversaw large-scale renovations and earned top rankings for his properties, including the renovation and conversion of the first dual-branded Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites to open in Midtown Atlanta-the 500+ room Crowne Plaza/Staybridge Suites Atlanta Midtown. He has been recognized as a General Manager of the Year (2013) and a “Best of the Best” General Manager of the Year for Crowne Plaza America (2013). Palmer also created the first partnership in Michigan between a hotel and Project Search, a non-profit organization providing training and employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities. In his role at Prominence Hospitality, Palmer has overseen the development of a new associate engagement program–IGNITE(inclusive, growing, noteworthy innovative, thoughtful, empowering). The structured culture system sets benchmarks and offers opportunities to encourage associates to shift their mindset from a “job” approach to a long-term career while providing team members unparalleled chances to grow in their positions.

Palmer holds a degree in hotel and business management from Oakton Community College and is a graduate of the IHG Owners Association Leadership Institute held at Goizueta Business School, Emory University. He was an executive committee member of a four-diamond, 350-room, 36-holegolf resort in the Midwest and remains actively involved in his community. Most recently, Palmer created and chaired a fundraising event for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Make a Wish Foundation, more than $450,000 for the not-for-profit organizations.

Steven Natale brings over 20 years of hospitality experience to Prominence Hospitality Group as Vice President of Operations. A native of Boston, Mass., Natale spent his first five years after graduating from the University of Colorado, Boulder, working in the technology industry in New York City. Following the events of 9/11, Natale made the decision to follow his true passion and pursue a career in hospitality. In 2001, he moved to Telluride, Colo., where he became the General Manager of a small vacation rental start up.

After helping significantly grow the vacation rental business over three years, Natale sought growth beyond property management and began a career in select and focused service brand management with IHG in Philadelphia. Here he focused on the Staybridge Suites brand and was an integral part of the first fifty Staybridge Suites hotels to come into the market. Furthering his career by expanding his focus within franchise management to include Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Choice and Wyndham brands, Natale also branched out beyond select and focused service to include the full-service sector. Under Natale’s leadership, the team he assembled helped to create award-winning hotels in the Mid-Atlantic region for IHG, Hilton and Choice hotels.

Natale is a graduate of the IHG Owners Association’s Leadership Institute held at Goizueta Business School-Emory University and has served for the IHG Owners Association Working Committees for over seven years, serving as a committee member, Vice Chair and Chair.

Kenny Vaidya brings over 20 years of professional experience to the role of Corporate Controller for Prominence Hospitality Group. Vaidya began his career as a Chartered Accountant in India after receiving his Bachelor’s in Commerce, followed by a Bachelor of Law degree and a Chartered Accountant (CPA) Degree from the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Vaidya arrived in the United States in 2002 and worked at Kumar & Co, overseeing taxation and external auditing. Shortly thereafter, his first role as a Corporate Controller for A Dollar Corporation broadened his skillset as he supervised 86 locations and oversaw a team of ten+ accounting and financial associates.

Vaidya transitioned his deep financial knowledge into the hospitality industry in 2006, taking an opportunity as the Corporate Controller for a dual-branded Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express where he oversaw all aspects of accounting, including bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, finalization of monthly financials and reporting packets and year-end tax returns. Prior to joining the Prominence team in 2017, Vaidya served as a hotel Director of Operations for three years, gaining operational experience to add to his vast financial prowess.

As Prominence’s Corporate Controller, Vaidya has direct oversight of all accounting and finance for the portfolio across multiple hotel brands. Vaidya and his team manage month-end financials reporting, cash management, financial forecasting, budget and capital reviews. Vaidya is integral to Prominence Hospitality Group’s strategic leadership team, playing a critical role in the national acquisition and development strategy.

A seasoned Information Technology Manager, Kelly Willis, joined the Prominence team in early 2022 to head up the growing corporate IT department. Willis most recently served as an IT Solutions Analyst for a worldwide merchandising company where he aided in implementing numerous technological and security solutions throughout the US and Canada. Prior to that, Willis spent more than two decades in hospitality accounting and IT. His previous positions include IT Manager at the expansive Lake Lawn Resort, President of his own consulting business, Innovative Technology Resources, and Accounting & IT Specialist at Lane Hospitality where he also held other roles as he continued to move up in the ranks.

Willis holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Eastern Illinois University. He brings his information technology skills, business acumen, and deep understanding of multiple facets of hotel operations to Prominence in his new role. Willis looks forward to developing and streamlining the IT processes across the Prominence portfolio.