Bridgeton's Boutique Hotels Embrace Quirks Rather Than Erase Them

One of the more interesting U.S. innovators of boutique hotels had humble origins. Atit Jariwala is today the founder and CEO of Bridgeton, a New York real estate development group managing $1 billion in assets, including hotels. But Jariwala got his first taste of the hospitality industry living in an EconoLodge motel that his parents managed in Bridgeton, Missouri.

“Like a lot of folks who live in motels, I helped my parents clean rooms and do every kind of chore you can growing up,” Jariwala said. "I was kind of born into it, and I haven’t been able to shake it."

Even though Jariwala’s early background was in franchise hotels, he’s pivoted his career toward boutiques by creating Walker Hotels in Tribeca and Greenwich Village and Marram Montauk, in the Hamptons.

In late May, Jariwala will open his next boutique property, Dawn Ranch, in Sonoma, California. As with all his properties, his goal is to create hotels that not everyone likes.

“I hate saying this, but I kind of want a hotel that some people hate,” said Jariwala.

It may be an odd vision, but it seems to be paying off.

In 2018 Jariwala bought a run-down motel in Montauk for $32.5 million and converted it into an upscale beachfront lodge with a vibe he describes today as “barefoot luxury.” Last