Sam Anandani
President
OmShera president and founder Sam Anandani came to the U.S. in 1993 and found early success in the telecommunication business before investing in his first hotel in 2000. Coming from a long line of entrepreneurs in his native India, Sam excelled immediately in the hospitality industry, where he is highly regarded for his hands-on management style, skill in assessing a property’s value during pre-purchase site visits and expert analysis of franchise property improvement plans.
Sam is also an enthusiastic traveler. He and his wife enjoy traveling to established destinations and immersing themselves in the local culture. They are also avid philanthropists. Along with local community involvement, they also actively participate in programs that sponsor students who cannot afford to go to college, both in the US and in India.
Kush Anandani
Director
OmShera Director Kush Anadani got his first taste of the hospitality industry at the age of 15, when he worked in both housekeeping and construction for his father’s burgeoning company. Later, he attended Penn State University, where he graduated with a degree in health policy and minored in finance. A passion for the hotel business and a gift for market research led Kush to set aside thoughts of a career in medicine to join his father in guiding the continued growth of OmShera Hospitality.
In his free time, Kush indulges in a passion for all things automotive. Cars, boats, motorcycles, if it moves, he likes to drive it. He is also an avid traveler, preferring to go off the beaten path and explore places that most travelers would not venture. After college, he backpacked in more than a dozen countries and credits the knowledge he acquired – staying at hotels, hostels and occasionally couch-surfing – with shaping his management style today.
Michelle Baca
Corporate Manager
With more than 20 years of management experience, Michelle Baca is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to the hospitality industry. Well-versed in everything from hotel openings to revenue management, she has the unique ability to quickly identify key demand generators in a variety of markets and building solid client relationships. Overseeing OmShera’s portfolio of multiple brands since 2004, she is driven by a real passion for fostering a management and sales culture that focuses on training, account development and RevPar growth and profitability.
Michelle began her hospitality career in 1994 as a Front Desk Associate in Southern California. Her strengths led to the position as the Director of Sales of the Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites, Pineville, NC, where she was later promoted to General Manager. She later spent ten years in a variety of corporate management positions with Panos Hotel Group before joining OmShera in 2004.
Ron Banwari
Operations Manager
Lauren Chavis
Project Manager – Development
Lauren started with OmShera Hotels in early 2016 after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a dual bachelor’s degree. She joined the team with a strong customer-service background and over five years of hospitality experience. She was promoted in 2018 to Project Manager and now is responsible for overseeing all new construction projects for OmShera. She works directly with the franchise and on-site team to make sure all brand initiatives and timelines are met.
Kia Sistare
Accounting Manager
With more than 13 years of hospitality experience, Kia has been with OmShera Hotel Group since 2012. Kia’s career progression from line level positions to various levels of hotel management has allowed her to be able to effectively communicate critical goals to operators. Kia evaluates operations in a systems approach and relies on her vast and wide range of situational experiences to correct, improve and strengthen processes.
Kia’s fondness for numbers led to her Accounting degree and accepted the position of Accounting Manager for OmShera Hotel Group corporate office.
Ryan Miller
Director of Design & Construction
Kendra Council
Accounting
Carla Morgan
Corporate Office Assistant