West Palm hoteliers open in Palm Bay

The newest addition to the central coast’s hotels, the Comfort Suites
in Palm Bay, marks an expansion for Neil Patel and his brother Mike
Patel, who also own hotels in Dania, Jupiter and Lantana. The $8 million
hotel at 1175 Malabar Road has 22 employees, said Theresa Cecilio-Pye,
regional director with Laxmi, the corporation associated with
Comfort Suites in Palm Bay. The hotel has
83 suites, now going for $99.95 nightly. But the arrival of Comfort Suites may
also indicate a glut of lodging in Brevard County. The area is
overbuilt, said Bonnie King, marketing specialist with the Space Coast
Office of Tourism.