Leamington hotel manager named 'Leader of the Year' while fighting stage 4 cancer

The general manager of Leamington’s Quality Inn Hotel is sharing his ongoing cancer story nearly two years after diagnosis, while celebrating recent recognition from his peers.

Dharmesh Patel was told he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer on Christmas Eve 2020 after months of pandemic delays that prevented him from seeing doctors. All while he continued to navigate tumultuous times in the hospitality industry during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Looking at me now you can't tell, but I've just completed my 15th round of chemo,” Patel said. “And I'm about to start my 16th round and all I can say is positivity, prayer and support from everyone in my town and my friends and family has been the key to my success.”

Patel was honoured in October with a national APEX “Leader of the Year” award from Choice Hotels Canada while continuing cancer treatment.

“I'm just one person,” Patel told CTV News. “I did a great job for my hotel and everything you do is for the industry but I'm sure there's people that are more deserving. But I'm very honored to have received it, and it was an emotional moment when I did find out.”

The Leader of the Year award is a peer-based award that recognizes an individual whose achievements include outstanding operational practices and team building."

“Dharmesh is a force to be reckoned with and I am so proud to celebrate him with this latest award,” said Brian Leon, CEO of Choice Hotels Canada. “He is not just a colleague, but a friend, who is a true inspiration. He has battled health issues with a positive attitude and has worked tirelessly, never missing a beat, to provide best-in-class hospitality at his hotel.”

(Courtesy: Choice Hotels Canada)

During the pandemic, Patel pivoted the business multiple times. One of which was to support workers in the agricultural industry arriving in Canada.

He also helped the local restaurant industry through the implementation of a meal plan and twice gave back to those in healthcare working around the clock.

“Somewhere, someone else has it worse off than me,” Patel explained. “So you know, right now I'm really lucky. I still have two feet, I’m able to eat everything and stay positive. I don't look at it as a negative thing.”

Choice Hotels Canada noted even though he was and still is dealing with his own health challenges, he was able to successfully lead the hotel to achieve a record year.

“One piece of advice I'll give to anyone is don't Google anything the doctor tells you,” the 45-year-old exclaimed.

He continued, “I can only do so much if I sit here and feel sorry for myself. I've got family to feed, staff that depends on me, customers that depend on me, so I can't I can't sit here and just feel sorry for myself.”

Patel said he learned his cancer had metastasized to his liver following a procedure in March 2021 and that he plans to continue chemotherapy “for life.”

“It is what it is,” he said. “I've been dealt the cards and I’ve got to make a hand out of it.”

Patel was also named Choice Privileges Ambassador of the year in 2021 when he received his first national APEX award.

“Obviously I have no idea what's going on inside. This last round almost wiped me out but I still push forward and it's more for my guests and honestly a lot of people ask why even bother going to work,” he said. “I’m in the hospitality business, so I do it for the love of the game. It's not for anything else.”