As summer continues to fly by, AAHOA's 2023 Charity Golf Tournament series is officially kicking off in July!

 

The first event in this series, the Mid South Region Charity Golf Tournament, will take place on Monday, July 24, in Georgetown, KY, at the Cherry Blossom Golf Club. Get ready for a day filled with golf, camaraderie, and impacting our community positively!

 

Here are four reasons to attend:

Leaders of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), which represents 20,000 hoteliers of primarily Indian descent, will be in Washington this week to attend events in support of strengthening the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks his first official state visit.

 

AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel, Vice Chairman Miraj Patel, Treasurer Kamalesh (KP) Patel, Secretary Rahul Patel, and Immediate Past Chair Neal Patel will attend the welcome ceremony at the White House South Lawn on Thursday morning.

 

Later that day, the four current AAHOA Officers will be guests at Modi’s historic joint address to Congress.

 

“The hotel industry has long provided thousands of first- and second-generation immigrants from India an opportunity to achieve the American dream of entrepreneurship,” said AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel. “The Biden Administration’s goals of strengthening ties with the world's most populous country and largest democracy will ultimately help advance American interests around the globe. As the largest hotel owners association in the nation, we are at the forefront of cultural and business ties between the United States and India. We recognize the importance of these relationships on both a personal and a global level.”

On Friday, June 16, more than 150 attendees joined AAHOA at the Alabama Regional Conference & Trade Show at the Embassy Suites Birmingham Hoover in Birmingham, AL. The attendees had a chance to connect with exhibitors on the trade show floor and receive human trafficking training onsite. Additionally, more than $25,000 was raised in PAC donations!

 

AAHOA's Regional Conference & Trade Shows are the best way for you to network and connect with hoteliers and vendors from within your region. They allow attendees to catch up on the latest industry news and updates, network with fellow AAHOA Members, and learn about new and exciting industry-related products and services at the Trade Show.

 

These Regional Conference & Trade Shows also allow attendees to hear from and network with political leaders from the area. Several special guest speakers attended the Alabama Regional, including Mayor Frank Brocato, Mindy Hanan, the President & CEO of the Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association, Mike Raita, from U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville’s office, and two special video messages, one from the Mayor of Birmingham, Randall Woodfin, and one from Governor Kay Ivey.

 

The hotel business is a significant driver of Alabama’s economy, with AAHOA Members owning 68.2% of the hotels there.

 

“I'm thrilled the Alabama Regional provided hotel owners, both branded and independent, with invaluable resources and advocacy from AAHOA,” Alabama Regional Director Sanjay Patel said. “My hope is all attendees gained enriching insights and formed strong networks that will propel their businesses to new heights. It’s events like this that make AAHOA the foremost resource and advocate for America's hotel owners.”

1. Mandated Vendors: Brands should not mandate specific vendors when there are multiple vendors selling goods of comparable quality at comparable prices.
2. Rebates: Brands should disclose all vendor "rebates," which can also be called "discounts," "refunds," or "allowances," and should be returned to Franchisees through appropriate accounts.
3. Loyalty Programs: Brands should reasonably compensate Franchisees when the brand sells loyalty points for cash and then allows travelers to stay at hotels owned by Franchisees.
4. New Fees: Brands should not unilaterally or arbitrarily impose new fees on Franchisees that were not disclosed in the official Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) without the approval of the Franchisees or a properly elected Franchise Advisory Council (FAC).

Last month, on May 23, Hospitality Financial & Technology Professionals (HFTP) held a complimentary webinar for all industry stakeholders. This exchange was part of a deepening partnership between the associations with a shared pursuit to advance the hospitality environment to the benefit of their members and the overall industry.

 

The webinar, titled "U.S. Legislative Updates from AAHOA," addressed AAHOA's initiatives on the U.S. Federal level, as well as state and local government levels.

 

Blake also covered policy recommendations that address the industry's labor shortage and SBA loan limits. In addition, she discussed how AAHOA works with states on STRs, OTA, evictions, and human trafficking awareness training and prevention. HFTP offers a robust Virtual Education program for its members, hosting between two to four hour-long sessions a month on a variety of topics of interest to its stakeholders.

 

You can watch the recording of the webinar here.

 

 

 

 

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AAHOA is proud to collaborate with Kennesaw State University to establish the Michael Leven and Lee Dushoff AAHOA Scholarship for Compassionate Leadership. This annual scholarship will support students seeking an undergraduate degree in hospitality management. For more on the qualifications and how to apply, please call 470-578-2206. To make a tax-deductible contribution to the scholarship endowment, please click here.

Like it or not, AI is here to stay and is having far-reaching effects on countless aspects of everyday life, including within hospitality. However, hoteliers must fully understand any potential legal issues behind using the technology long before implementation.
(Source: JD Supra)

Though hoteliers often are highly attuned to ADA compliance with regards to guest accommodation, progressive properties understand that ensuring equal access also extends to its employees.
(Source: HospitalityNet)

In its second installment of the newly launched Hospitality Industry Sentiment survey, STR reports that group travel is on the rise, compensating for a slight dip in leisure travel.
(Source: HNR Hotel News)

Truist Securities reports, “Overall U.S. RevPAR was +1.5% y/y for the week ending 6/17/2023, per STR, above the prior week's result of -1.2%, but below the trailing 10-week average of +2.7%. Vs. 2019, RevPAR was +11.1%, above the prior week’s result of +10.0%, but below the trailing 10-week average of +12.4%. With more employers providing a work holiday for Juneteenth in 2023, we assume there was some impact to business and leisure travel. Midweek occupancy presented a pull forward of business travel demand pre-holiday which we assume reverses for the week ending 6/24/23. Weekend RevPAR appeared to have 2-4 points of positive impact. Upscale RevPAR: +3.4% y/y and +5.6% vs. 2019; Upper Midscale RevPAR: +1.6% y/y and +9.1% vs. 2019.”
For more, read the full report here, and read the China/Europe report here.