AAHOA President & CEO Cecil P. Staton announced on Thursday that the 2020 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show is being rescheduled to August 9-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. “While we are obviously disappointed in this turn of events, we are confident that rescheduling the convention is the right decision for our members, industry partners, and our association," Staton said. Read the full statement here. For more information, please visit aahoa.com/convention and continue to monitor our website regularly for further updates and other information, including a list of frequently asked questions.

As every person in the hospitality industry knows by now, the coronavirus has the travel industry’s full attention. As the U.S. Travel Association states, “without safety and security for travelers, there is no travel.” And you know this better than anyone else. That's why AAHOA is working hard to provide updates on upcoming webinars, resources, and communications to our members. Stay tuned for ongoing updates as the national situation continues to develop.

In order to most effectively advocate on your behalf, we need data on how this crisis has impacted your business and ideas on how government officials and brands can help our industry during this uncertain time. To help us gather the necessary info, please complete our survey, Business Impacts on Hoteliers Due to COVID-19. The survey will remain open for approximately one week and will close at 11:59 p.m. on March 19. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete, and your responses are voluntary and will be kept strictly confidential. 

In the wake of the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry, AAHOA is bringing you a series of webcasts that will keep you informed and help determine next steps for your business. The "Impact of COVID-19 on America's Hotel Owners" webcast series will cover a wide range of topics, including government and local regulations and their implications, proper cleaning and sanitization procedures, how to handle delays in construction and hotel openings, how to get approved for financing in this current situation and how to approach your lender for concessions on existing financing, and so much more. Check www.aahoa.com/covid-19 for more information.

 

The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, scheduled for March 18-20 in Atlanta, GA, and the AAHOA Young Professional Hoteliers Networking Reception at Hunter set for Wednesday at STATS Brewpub have been postponed. Check the Hunter Hotel website for more information.

Town Halls offer hoteliers the chance to hear firsthand about the local issues that directly impact their business. They also are a great opportunity to build your professional network and learn more about AAHOA programs and resources available to help you strengthen every aspect of your business. These events are open to all hotel owners, even if you're not yet a member. Make it a point to attend the Town Halls in your area to defend and protect your investment.

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey reports, “Economy (-6.9%) was the relatively strongest chain scale for branded hotels; Upper Upscale was the weakest at -15.9%. Upscale (-12.1%) underperformed the industry average; Upper Midscale (-9.3%) outperformed. Our focus continues to be centered on the coronavirus impact to lodging data. Last week's data (week ending March 7) was the first week where there was a material RevPAR hit to the entire national industry. We assume the RevPAR impact will be progressively worse over the next several weeks as we see no indication yet of a demand recovery. What do we project for national RevPAR later this month? Our analyst intuition is for -20% to -25% for the next several weeks, although given the fluidity of the trends and airlines likely to cut routes/train route reductions, demand may become naturally lower due to lower supply of long-distance travel options. Above is a negative sign for fly-to destinations (West Coast, Hawaii, Florida, Texas) and major rail routes along the Eastern Corridor (D.C. to Boston).”

 

AAHOA Members get discounts on employer-sponsored medical, dental, vision, disability, and other benefit plans. We also offer a FREE Pharmacy Discount Card program that offers savings of up to 75 percent on all FDA-approved prescriptions. For more info, contact Susana Cintron today!

Travel Media Group is a hospitality marketing partner that provides solutions that give AAHOA Members a competitive edge through marketing and business insights. Services include social media, review responses, reputation management, responsive websites, online and print advertising, and more. Travel Media Group offers smarter hotel marketing to help hotels increase revenue. Visit the website, then contact Dana Singer and ask about our all-in-one guest-engagement platform built for hotels!

The members of AHIA specialize in hospitality industry legal issues and have a minimum of five years' experience for in-house counsel and 10 years' experience for outside counsel. All AHIA members are committed to promoting professionalism, continuing education, and improved communication, which creates a network of competent experienced attorneys committed to improving legal services throughout the hospitality industry. Access their nationwide directory to find a hospitality industry lawyer near you.

The COVID-19 virus is seriously affecting travel and hotel stays. Many guests are wondering what their rights are for refunds or rebookings, but hoteliers’ concerns go beyond occupancy numbers, such as guest and staff safety and how this will affect hotels in the long run.

In an address to the nation Wednesday night, President Donald Trump announced the United States will ban travelers from 26 European countries for 30 days starting today at 11:59 p.m. in order to prevent further spread of COVID-19. 

In the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, hoteliers need to maintain clear communications with all stakeholders and scrutinize any management decision and emergency plan, according to four experts at business consultancy Deloitte.