A Team-Focused Environment at Virtelle Hospitality

By Elizabeth Sims

From its 1980s inception managing one hotel to overseeing five hotels under four different corporate flags, Virtelle Hospitality is now extending its reach into new markets, expanding its footprint and sharing its considerable expertise in the hospitality industry. 

Virtelle Hospitality Management Group showcases the achievements of their diverse team of experts in various disciplines within the hospitality industry – from training and development to revenue management to solid operational performance. Leveraging its collective assets of experience and expertise, the Virtelle leadership team is eager to share how its individual-first culture creates an environment where people thrive, businesses grow, hospitality shines and guest satisfaction soars.

At its core, Virtelle is a relationship building organization, key to driving its exceptional performance in RevPAR index growth, operational excellence and outstanding achievement when it comes to surpassing brand service standards. Developing strong, mutually beneficial relationships with their branding partners – Hilton, IHG, Marriott and Choice Hotels – has been a critical component of the company’s success. 

Virtelle’s impressive performance as a company can also be attributed to its commitment to being a business where its employees are proud to work – an organization that embraces and celebrates multiple perspectives and points of view. And it is a hospitality company that delivers the best service levels a brand represents to its guests, as well as to its employees. 

“Our company culture is family-oriented, focusing on our team first,” says Chief Operating Officer Robert Foster. “We work to ensure every employee has a voice at the table and that they look forward to being a part of the team and our efforts. We listen to our employees and align their passions and interests with our community involvement. 

“We want our organization to offer our employees a job built around their lives – not lives built around their job.”

Virtelle Hospitality Management Group CEO Himanshu Karvir leads by example, emphasizing the company’s belief in the power of building relationships, inside and out. Having spearheaded several positive hospitality industry initiatives in Asheville, he honors the power of teamwork.

“Our commitment to the tremendous value of diverse voices, opinions, perspectives and decisions is what makes us successful,” says Karvir. “We invest in individuals, in community and in our teams so our company delivers on every front.” 

Being recognized as a leading hospitality management company in a highly competitive destination like Asheville is a testament to Virtelle’s depth of talent and expertise in operations, sales, marketing, human resources and revenue management. The company’s standing as a valuable contributing pillar of the community is a testament to its belief in relationship building. These foundational strengths are at the center of Virtelle Hospitality Management Group’s core competencies and will be the central focus that Virtelle provides for businesses in other markets, ultimately providing economic development opportunities, the creation of diverse careers and the establishment of meaningful connections in their respective communities. 

CEO Karvir believes in positive relationship building from the ground up, beginning with playing a role in providing equitable, rewarding educational opportunities. He helped found the highly regarded Horizons academic enrichment program headquartered at Asheville’s Carolina Day School. A program developed to provide educational growth opportunities to underserved children in the community, Himanshu’s strong beliefs in equity and diversity – combined with the transformative power of early learning – instills promise in future community leaders. 

“Virtelle also has long-standing relationships with the University of North Carolina Asheville, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and Western Carolina University,” says Human Resources Director Rayna Lintin. “We offer dynamic internship programs allowing students the chance to engage in real-life situations and challenges in our business so they can learn from those experiences.” 

“Our focus on each person’s growth and development creates a ripple effect that boosts the company’s achievements but also the greater community’s vibrancy,” says Karvir. “We are proud to play a role in being an employer of choice and helping our employees excel at their work. Because they do, we are able to exceed guests’ expectations.

“With Virtelle Hospitality Management Group expanding into other markets, it’s an exciting time for our company’s growth,” added Karvir. “We are pleased to offer our experience and expertise as a road map to other travel and hospitality enterprises that want to grow and thrive in meaningful ways.”