Recovery Stories: Microtel Inn & Suites Aransas Pass

René Patel Thakor had never completely shut down a hotel but that changed when officials gave a mandatory evacuation order for San Patricio County as Hurricane Harvey moved closer to the Coastal Bend.

Thakor, general manager of the Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham in Aransas Pass, made his guests his top priority. Thakor personally took his last guest to leave the building to a location where his guest would be picked up.

After the storm, Thakor felt a personal responsibility to do whatever he could to help first responders who arrived in the area. Once he assessed the condition of his hotel, Thakor opened it to AEP Texas employees and contractors who needed accommodations as they worked to restore power. He even secured a gigantic generator for a sister property in Rockport to house more AEP employees.

Thakor says that while his hotel is not fully operating in a normal sense, his hotel is open to guests and those who have been affected by Harvey.

The Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham is located at 355 E. Goodnight Ave. in Aransas Pass, Texas.