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AAHOA Industry Partner IDeaS, the world’s leading provider of hospitality revenue management software and services, held its annual Converge Hospitality Revenue Summit in New York last month. This exclusive event brought more than 150 hospitality revenue leaders together, and featured keynote speakers from some of the top hospitality innovators, such as AAHOA Chairman Neal Patel, MCR Development CEO and Chairman Tyler Morse, and BRE Hotels and Resorts CFO Charles Macon.
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Laura Lee Blake and several other Travel and Hospitality CEOs penned a joint letter to the Los Angeles City Council to express dire and direct opposition to the an ordinance the council will consider tomorrow. The ordinance, “Hotel Land Use and Replacement Housing Requirements” would place unsheltered individuals in any vacant hotel room in the City of Los Angeles — even rooms that are next to paying guests. This creates serious safety concerns for hotel guests, housekeepers, and all hotel staff. AAHOA is directly engaged on the issue, working with our industry partners and local AAHOA Members to oppose this detrimental ordinance.
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AAHOA has joined the California Hotel and Lodging Association, the Hotel Association of Los Angeles, the California Hospitality United Coalition, and many other industry groups to oppose an ordinance under consideration by the Los Angeles City Council. The ordinance, “Hotel Land Use and Replacement Housing Requirements” would place unsheltered individuals in any vacant hotel room in the City of Los Angeles — even rooms that are next to paying guests. This creates serious safety concerns for hotel guests, housekeepers, and all hotel staff.
A group of AAHOA Members are planning to attend the City Council meeting this Friday to speak out against this detrimental ordinance. AAHOA has submitted public comment on the ordinance and is working closely with our industry partners to urge the council not to adopt the ordinance.
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Yesterday, the U.S. Travel Association said goodbye to Roger Dow, who stepped down from his role as president and CEO after 17 years.
Travel is an integral part of the American experience, and the pro-growth and pro-traveler work Roger has achieved during his time at the U.S. Travel Association helped many AAHOA Members take their hotel business to the next level.
Roger’s leadership, complemented by an abiding sense of optimism, was essential in guiding the industry through numerous challenges over the years, from the post-9/11 travel slump to the COVID-19 pandemic. Roger was a steady voice of resilience in each of these moments, none more so than by rallying the industry to ensure all sectors of travel received the necessary relief to survive the pandemic and keep workers on payrolls. His role in reopening international inbound air travel and repealing the pre-departure COVID testing requirement was a turning point in the industry’s recovery.
The AAHOA Community wishes Roger all the best in his next chapter and thanks him for all he has done for our industry!
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Hurricane season 2022 started June 1 and runs through November 30. As we enter the peak of hurricane season in August, hotel owners need to have a plan and be prepared. Hotel properties in vulnerable coastline regions can face high winds, storm surge flooding, heavy rainfall, structural damage, and much more if and when a hurricane makes landfall. So, what steps can hotel owners take to prepare for potential hurricane damage to their businesses? In this informational video, Vimal Patel, AAHOA Lifetime Member and QHotels Management CEO, and John W. Houghtaling, II from Gauthier Murphy & Houghtaling, LLC, and AAHOA Club Blue Industry Partner, share insight on navigating insurance claims, assessing property damage, and using AAHOA as a resource after a hurricane.
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Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives have accelerated in recent years, especially in hospitality. Let’s check how the industry can invest in long-term environmental upgrades and protect communities, employees, and hotel guests.
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U.S. hotel performance improved from the previous week, and revenue per available room reached an all-time high on a nominal basis, according to STR‘s latest data through July 23 (percentage change from comparable week in 2019*)
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IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies as well as an AAHOA Industry Partner, announced partnerships with two leading anti-human trafficking organizations, ECPAT-USA and Polaris, to strengthen the company’s ongoing efforts against trafficking and support survivors. The launch of these engagements coincides with the United Nations’ July 30 observance of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, designed to call attention to the millions of individuals who are trafficked each year.
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Industry veteran and previous AAHOA Executive Vice President and COO Rachel Humphrey has publicly announced the launch of the Women In Hospitality Leadership Alliance, a consortium of 18 different organizations and several individuals committed to advancing women in hospitality.
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AAHOA closely monitors and endorses initiatives across the country that will protect America’s hotel owners. Last week, AAHOA spoke out in support of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s crackdown on vacation rental scams. Moody launched the Summer Scams Series this month, focusing on consumer protection and outlining common scams seen during the summer months.
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During the ALIS Summer Update in Dallas last week, AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake and AAHOA Past Chair (2013-2014) Mehul Patel participated in a panel discussion on hotel investment, private capital, and operational costs. While many hotel owners are monitoring the market to ensure a recession doesn’t affect their profitability, some hotel executives believe hotel development will not slow down anytime soon thanks to the amount of private equity capital still available.
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Since the start of the pandemic, the COVID test requirement hindered the recovery of the travel and hospitality industry. But, for many hotel owners, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. According to new data released by the World Travel & Tourism Council and ForwardKeys, inbound travelers are returning in droves after the Biden Administration dropped the requirement for COVID test before entering the U.S.
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AAHOA commends Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s crackdown on vacation rental scams. Attorney General Moody tweeted that she was kicking off a Summer Scam Series with a focus on fake vacation rental ads. She included tips to avoid rental scams and announced a new consumer protection series about vacation rental scams.
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While U.S. hotel construction has declined for seven consecutive months, rooms in construction in both New York City and Nashville represent a significant percentage of those markets’ existing supply. Additionally, planning activity continues to rise nationally, albeit at a slower pace, with markets such as Miami, Nashville and Phoenix showing increased interest from developers, according to STR.
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Each of the four world regions showed a year-over-year decline in hotel pipeline activity at the end of the second quarter, according to June 2022 data from STR.
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Members have been on a steady road to recovery over the past two-and-a-half years since the pandemic, as the hospitality industry was undoubtedly one of the most negatively affected industries from COVID-19. While most hotels, big and small, felt the effects all throughout the height of the pandemic, the extended-stay segment seemingly thrived.
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The hospitality industry has experienced a strong summer. AAA predicted 39.2 million people hit the roads or took a flight for Memorial Day weekend, and 47.9 million people traveled 50 miles or more from home over the Fourth of July holiday. With so many travelers back on the road and in the air, hotel occupancy rates are on track to approach pre-pandemic levels, creating new opportunities for hotel owners to welcome more guests and bounce back from the pandemic.
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Young professionals bring tech-savvy solutions and a fresh perspective to help hotels meet the demands of current modern guests. Armaan Patel, the 18-year-old founder of AGA Hotels and AAHOA’s Outstanding Young Professional of the Year Award recipient, is an excellent example of someone shaping the future of hospitality.
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Earlier this week, AAHOA and nearly two hundred other trade associations penned a letter to Congressional leadership after reports of proposed tax increases that would impact small and family-owned businesses.
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AAHOA Past Chairman (2013-14) and Managing Partner & CEO of NewcrestImage Mehul Patel continues to expand NewcrestImage portfolio. Yesterday, NewcrestImage announced its plan to acquire four LaQuinta-branded properties, which together total 696 rooms. The properties include the LaQuinta Inn & Suites at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) that marks NewcrestImage’s first gateway location in California.