In AAHOA's ongoing efforts to keep members in the know and armed with the information they need to weather the COVID-19 storm, we recently released "Disabled Guest Considerations During COVID-19" and "Reopening or Transitioning Your Hotel Post-COVID-19" resources. The first is a list of suggestions to help hoteliers ensure their properties can accommodate guests with disabilities in a manner that complies with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) but also maintains social distancing and other safety measures. The second is a five-page document that includes a comprehensive suggestive checklist for signs and notices, employee and guest health, check-in and checkout processes, cleaning products and protocol, and more. These resources will provide invaluable info as more hotel owners start preparing their properties to once again welcome travelers. If you know of any resources you think might be helpful to others, please let us know at info@aahoa.com.

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on our businesses and our communities in many ways. It’s also making our communities even more vulnerable to the harms of human trafficking. While the many effects of COVID-19 on our communities are unavoidable, preventing human trafficking in our vulnerable communities is not. To help members join the fight to eradicate this scourge, AAHOA offers Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) Inhospitable to Human Trafficking Training Sponsored by AAHOA. This on-demand, fully digital training is completely FREE to all AAHOA Members and your employees. As we all navigate through this pandemic, there has never been a better time to complete this brief yet highly impactful training. The training is completely digital and free. Use this time of social distancing to earn your certificate.

In order to most effectively advocate on behalf of members, AAHOA is collecting information regarding your experiences with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and CMBS loans. Your answers on the PPP survey will help AAHOA push for changes to the program and its implementation that will most benefit our members. Your responses on the CMBS survey as to how you are handling your loan, including requests, communication, and forbearance, will bolster our outreach efforts to government officials and agency employees. All information submitted on the questionnaires is strictly confidential.

Check Facebook regularly to see our members exemplifying what it means to be #AAHOASTRONG! AAHOA Upper Midwest Regional Director Kalpesh Joshi was among a group of eminent Indian-American community leaders recently recognized by India’s Ambassador to the U.S. Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Joshi is leading AAHOA’s effort to provide housing for Indian college students who suddenly found themselves stranded in the U.S. when schools across the nation abruptly closed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The community is doing its best during this crisis,” Joshi said. “We hope that things get better here and in India.” Applauding them for their sense of community service and duty, Sandhu said they have gone above and beyond in extending a helping hand to those in need during the coronavirus crisis. ... Lifetime Member Hasu Patel, the father of South Texas Regional Director Sawan H. Patel, was recently recognized by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner for his tireless service to the community. Hasu, on behalf of the Small Independent Motel Association (SIMA) of Houston and the local hospitality industry, donated 30,000 protective surgical masks, 1,000 protective N95 masks, and 30,000 gloves to the City of Houston Office of Emergency Management to distribute to first responders and to the community to help in the battle against the coronavirus crisis. ... AAHOA applauds and thanks Kalpesh and Hasu for truly embodying what it means to be #AAHOASTRONG.

In the coming weeks, AAHOA is hosting a number of virtual events targeted at regions around the country. The virtual event series is designed to help hotel owners remain connected with AAHOA Officers, board members, staff, and each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. Make plans to join us for this and other upcoming virtual events. You also can visit the virtual events archive to view past recordings in their entirety.

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. We have educated more than 12,000 hoteliers to date and feature more than 90 webcasts separated by category in our library. AAHOA is making these webcasts available to the industry, so be sure to share with those in your network, whether they're an AAHOA Member or not. 

 

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey reports, “Economy (-33.4%) was the relatively strongest chain scale for branded hotels; Luxury was the weakest at -90.6%. Upscale (-79.1%) underperformed the industry average; Upper Midscale (-71.3%) outperformed. RevPAR declines are becoming slightly "less worse" despite what appears to be a modest reopening of hotels. Approximately 172 hotels were added to the STR sample over the course of the week (start of week: 29,626 hotels; per STR, approximately 12% of the U.S. supply remains closed). We do not like to make major pronouncements on trends with limited weeks of results. However, given the "reopening of the economy" in portions of the country, warmer weather vs. earlier in the year, and weekend leisure "green shoots" in select destinations, there is some support that we have hit the bottom in terms of the headline RevPAR decline figure. The worst headline figure was for the week ending April 11 (-83.6%).”

 

Dell empowers business owners to use technology to realize their dreams. Now, the computer technology giant has partnered with AAHOA to bring members savings of 30 percent to 40 percent off the everyday price on their systems and Dell-branded electronics and accessories! Visit www.dell.com/AAHOA to shop or call 800-757-8442 today. Please mention you are an AAHOA Member and use Member ID 530002735094.

SurferQuest™ has been setting the industry standard for Secure Business Center software while serving thousands of locations worldwide since 2001. We emphasize minimizing your hotel's liability and protecting your guests from malware, viruses and identity theft, the fastest-growing cyber crime in technology today. SurferQuest™ offers a full suite of guest engagement technology solutions built with your hotel and budget in mind. For more info, contact Kathryn Koning, visit the website, or call 814-342-3120 today!

AAHOA has joined with the University of Houston Conrad Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management to create an AAHOA Scholarship. AAHOA will contribute a total of $125,000 to UH over five years, beginning in 2016. The contributions will be matched by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, creating a $250,000 fund to be named the AAHOA Student Assistantship & Scholarship Endowment. To find out more about the qualifications or how to apply, please click here. 

While many furloghed employees are choosing to stay home, women are leading through the crisis. Nyreshia Davis and Lindsey Lundgren at the InterContinental Hotel at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport don masks and gloves to help keep the hotel running with a skeleton crew, serving guests in need: health care professionals, airline workers, and those mourning the loss of family members.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge for the hotel industry, we know the industry is resilient. A rebound in travel demand will happen, but when and what it looks like are still in the air. Hoteliers can prepare for the rebound by utilizing their time wisely: keeping in touch with customers, ramping up the marketing strategy, and mapping out what the phases of a rebound might look like.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the hospitality industry to rely on tech more now than ever before. Hoteliers will have to meet new demands in the COVID-19 aftermath, which means tech solutions will have to get smarter, faster, and more reliable.