A Northeast Bronx hotel that just opened in March is looking to house migrants.
Arpit Patel, the owner of the Royal Hotel Bronx, located at 3362 Boston Road, will request the support of Community Board 12 at its 7 p.m. general board meeting Thursday, which will be streamed on Facebook Live, YouTube and Webex.
In Patel’s planned presentation to the board, which was obtained by the Bronx Times, he frames his intentions as humanitarian: Help alleviate the migrant crisis in the city and make a positive impact on asylum seekers.
He emphasizes collaboration and open communication with the board, saying he wants to understand members’ questions and concerns and address them “promptly and transparently.”
“It is of utmost importance to me that any potential concerns are met with sincere attention, and I am committed to addressing them with top priority,” Patel says on a slide in his presentation.
The hotel, which sits between the Laconia and Williamsbridge sections of the Bronx, has been independently owned and operated since opening in March of this year, according to the presentation. It took the place of the former Marcus Jackson funeral home.
The hotel has a 3-star rating from the culmination of 38 reviews on Google. While some reviewers praised their stays, others lamented about their rooms being dirty. One reviewer claimed two months ago that “it was full of homeless people” staying there and another person three days ago said “it is just pretending to be a hotel,” citing dirty sheets and elevator, as well as a lack of seating, microwave, mini fridge and parking.
According to Patel’s presentation, Councilmember Kevin Riley, whose council district includes the hotel, is “amenable” to a letter of no objection as long as the community board is involved in the process. The Bronx Times reached out to Patel and Riley for comment and is awaiting responses.
George Torres, the district manager for CB12, told the Bronx Times that former CB12 Chairman Michael Burke testified to the City Council several years ago that he was irked by property owners promising hotels before turning them into shelters. And according to Torres, it has been the community’s reality.
Patel acknowledged that there are several hotels in the district using the city’s sanctuary program for asylum seekers in his presentation. Two known shelters in the district are on Bronx Boulevard and White Plains Road.
That being said, Torres said that at least Patel is involving CB12, unlike other shelter operators who cut out the advisory body, going directly to the city. Torres credited Riley for making that happen.
“I do appreciate the fact that this shelter operator is coming before the community board because he is doing it the right way,” the district manager said. “And he is trying to do it for altruistic reasons.”
Torres found — based on 2019 data — that communities of color across the city, as well as the Bronx as a whole, carry a disproportionate burden of housing homeless New Yorkers. He said that while he believes the city is capable of housing the influx of asylum seekers, it’s not being handled equitably.
“I just don’t think that communities of color should be dealing with this all by themselves,” Torres said.
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