Hotel Industry Experts
Middletown Hotel Management Company, Inc., started in 1989 with a Howard Johnson hotel in Middletown, Ohio. Originally founded as Middletown Management by Har S. Bhatnagar, CEO, the company has steadily grown to include multiple properties in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus.
The Early Years
The company’s roots date back to 1983 when Bhatnagar invested, with a partner, in his first property, the Colonial Motor Lodge in Alpha, Ohio. Over the next several years, he continued to develop and make further investments with partners in other properties such as the Comfort Inn and Super 8 in Middletown, Ohio, all while continuing to work as an engineer at General Electric. He also made individual investments in individual properties such as the Comfort Inn in Sydney, Ohio, continuing to grow his portfolio.
Upon deciding to establish an independent management company in 1989, Bhatnagar brought in his wife, Bela, to serve as Vice President. After years of success with the initial Howard Johnson property, Middletown Management’s portfolio expanded in 1993 with the at-auction purchase of the Holiday Inn in Xenia, Ohio, making it the first purchased property under Middletown Management. After five successful years with Middletown Management, Har Bhatnagar retired from General Electric in 1994 and began working full-time for the company. During this same year, Middletown Management purchased the Holiday Inn in Plymouth, Indiana.