Our Company

Hersha means happy when translated from an ancient language rooted in sanskrit and, not coincidentally, is the name of co-founder Hersha Shah, who is also the wife of co-founder Hasu P. Shah. Like many in the hospitality industry, our company has humble beginnings. Our founders started the business in Harrisburg, PA and, at our first hotels, were operators at the core — in fact, they were our earliest front desk agents, room attendants, and outside sales team. Our founders realized early-on the value of our associates and the importance of providing personal growth, respecting other’s views, and investing in their employees. Hersha and Hasu recognized the bigger picture and consistently made decisions that would enable long term growth. They had a keen understanding that entrepreneurship alone would not be enough to fulfill the vision of HHM. Building a team and believing in the skills of others would be the only way to build a best-in-class operating company. Growth and scalability required investing in technology and developing process systems early. Strategic and calculated risks empowered our leaders to enter high barrier markets like New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington D.C., which they knew would lead to higher returns for the company.