With 'bleisure' and fewer workers, the American hotel is in recovery

Vinay Patel, head of Fairbrook Hotels, owns 11 hotels around Virginia. (Amar Patel/Courtesy of Vinay Patel)

Midday is quiet at a Hampton Inn & Suites near Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia. Staff restock the snacks. A young dad bounces a baby among the grays, browns and teals of the lobby. Eventually, a couple of new arrivals roll a suitcase to the front desk, asking to check in early.

The hotel's owner, Vinay Patel, has noticed this interaction waning.