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About
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Inside Auro Hotels

Perfecting the Art of
Inspired Hospitality

Rooted in humble beginnings, we’ve spent the past five decades becoming one of the largest privately-owned hospitality companies in the country. We’ve done this by staying true to our purpose: maximizing the potential around us. Though we’ve experienced success and growth, our generational legacy of excellence, one that the Rama family has carefully stewarded, extends far beyond any building. It shapes us, grounds us, reminds us of our origins, and guides us to where we’re going.

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Where Dreams Find Direction Our Vision

To be experts in the art of inspired hospitality.

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Our Mission

We are placemakers creating people-centric experiences designed to inspire the imagination, deliver value, optimize performance, and unlock the potential of our people, places, and communities.

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The First Chapter

At age 25, without any experience in hotels, HP Rama purchased the Sunset Motel, a modest 40-room establishment in Pamona, California. This began the family’s legacy, founded as JHM Hotels.

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Family is Everything

DJ Rama officially joins the family business to carry on the Rama legacy, as well as create both personal and professional harmony.

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A Spirit of Service

JHM Hotels receives its first Marriott Partnership Circle Award, establishing JHM Hotels as a premier partner with Marriott International, the global leader in hospitality.

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A Legacy of Leadership

Following in his father and uncle’s footsteps, DJ Rama becomes President of JHM Hotels. He takes the company into a new era of hospitality through a fusion of strategic design and intentional innovation, while remaining true to the family’s roots and original values.

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Lighting the Way, O.N.E. Step at a Time

One of DJ Rama’s initial moves as president was formalizing the company’s philanthropic arm by creating O.N.E. (Outreach, Nurture, Encourage). The guiding principle is to donate 1% of profits, 1% of product, and 1% of personnel to meet the needs of the underserved.

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The Sun Rises on Auro Hotels

JHM creates a succession plan for the second generation and retires its name. A new brand, Auro, meaning “dawn of a new light” guides the path forward to become one of the country’s largest, privately owned, Asian hotel groups.

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Global Expansion

Building upon our US-based foundation, Auro Hotels opens the Courtyard by Marriott Surat and quickly expands its international presence with the opening of the Marriott Surat hotel in Gujarat, India.

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On the Horizon

Fast forward 50 years, Auro Hotels, headquartered in Greenville, SC, is a privately-held international company with offices in Atlanta, GA and Surat, India, and develops, owns, and operates nearly 40 hotels under the flags of Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, and Wyndham. With transformative projects ahead, Auro’s commitment goes beyond business, uplifting communities and fostering enduring prosperity.