Patel said he took part in the Paycheck Protection Program and has taken out disaster loans, which he’ll have to pay back.
A water tank had to be repaired, and the hotel is undergoing renovations even as it serves its guests.
Business has been slow, but it is picking up a bit as spring arrives, he said.
“Very much a hard time,” Patel said.
Other hotels in the metro area are in the same straits, some with parking lots so empty that if you didn’t try the door, you couldn’t be sure if they were open.
At least seven of the 60-plus hotels in the metro area were at least temporarily closed as of April 5-6, several of which had signs saying that COVID was the cause: