AAHOA President and CEO Laura Lee Blake was a panelist during the Policy Update session at the 44th annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference. During the session, moderated by Jeffrey Stewart, conference vice chair and founder/president of Walnut Hill Advisors, all of the panelists offered their takes on the current issues affecting the industry.

 

No discussion of issues facing the industry can avoid the topic of the labor shortage, and Blake said that AAHOA has encouraged the administration to increase the number of H2B work visas after already adding 35,000 earlier this year. "We are also working with a diverse coalition of groups to come up with a new H2C visa, which would apply to hospitality workers in an attempt to address, as they call it, the 'Great Resignation' of workers in this country, which has led to the labor shortage." 

 

Jagruti Panwala, Past Chairwoman of AAHOA and current President & CEO of Wealth Protection Strategies, sat down with DEI Advisors' Board Director and Interview Host Rachel Humphrey to discuss her inspiring career and life journey.

 

Panwala was the first Chairwoman of AAHOA, and is still the only woman Board Chair in our 34-year history. She also serves on the American Hotel & Lodging Association Board, and is known for championing other women in the hospitality industry, being a staunch proponent of furthering education, and having a strong professional support system.

 

Watch the entire interview here.

 

Read more here. 

What happens when the best, brightest - and some of the youngest - AAHOA Members gather in one room? A robust roundtable discussion comes to light, centered around hotel development, brand standards, evolving food and beverage tastes, monetization of square footage, and how hospitality changes are also sparking progress at AAHOA. And, no matter if you are a younger or older hotelier, economics plays a crucial role in your business outcome when buying or building hotels. Armaan Patel, founder of AGA Hotels, recent AAHOA award-winner, and the youngest participant on the roundtable, shared his experience acquiring hotels as a young entrepreneur.

 

The 2022 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®) is celebrating its 50th anniversary June 27-30 in Orlando, FL.

 

AAHOA Members are invited to attend for FREE when you enter HITECAAHOA22 in the discount code text box area during registration. The unparalleled event offers attendees essential education, access to top hospitality technology industry experts, and the resources to find cost-effective ways to improve company bottom lines. Furthermore, AAHOA is co-hosting an event for Young Professionals in Orlando! This is an exclusive networking event for HITEC attendees under 35 only. Attendees must register for HITEC to attend.

 

We hope to see you there!

Hotels need automation now more than ever to counter market disruptions, stay competitive, and meet guest expectations. The Property Management System (PMS) at the center of hotel operations is poised to answer the call by harnessing technology’s full potential through innovation and collaboration.This special report shines a light on hospitality’s current tech challenges and how hoteliers can future proof their PMS  to leverage the abundance of opportunities that lie ahead.

 

The Florida Department of Revenue has announced a temporary sales tax exemption period during which tax is not due on the retail sales of impact-resistant doors, impact-resistant garage doors, and impact-resistant windows, including those for commercial use. The exemption period begins Friday, July 1, 2022.

 

Book a call to take advantage of the exception.

 

 

June is going to be a busy month for AAHOA! Check out our lineup of events coming your way. Make plans to join us by registering today. (All times are local.)

Truist Securities reports, “Last week’s RevPAR was up against a +121.5% comparable result in 2021 vs. +127.4% in the prior week. On a 3-year run-rate (vs. 2019), RevPAR was +10.7% vs. -2.2% in the prior week’s 3-year run-rate. Upscale RevPAR: +40.3% y/y and +2.9% over 3 years; Upper Midscale RevPAR: +20.3% y/y and +8.9% over 3 years. Given the shift of Memorial Day (one week earlier in 2019), there is an easy 3-year comp with 2022 business travel (individual/group/convention) pushed into last week. This year also is impacted by the new Juneteenth holiday which further narrows June corporate travel to select days. We are seeing indications of strong leisure demand showing up in pre-summer trends. ADRs continue to run strong at mid 20% levels over 2019 levels for Friday and Saturday; however, we note that some urban locations remain laggards relative to rural and outdoorsy markets (coasts, national parks, etc.).”

 

HCareers is a real-time, tech-first solution for both employers and professionals in North America's hospitality industry and has placed more than one million professionals in progressive roles within the industry since 2001. They feature more than 25,000 job listings daily and support more than 4,000 registered employers. Hcareers has revolutionized job matching. Use our score to find the BEST opportunities based on YOUR personal profile. Check out the website and get started today!

Atlanta-based Focus Brands® is a leading developer of global, multi-channel food service brands. Focus Brands, through its affiliate brands, is the franchisor and operator of more than 6,300 restaurants, cafes, ice cream shoppes and bakeries in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and more than 60 foreign countries. This curated collection of iconic brands is united under one powerhouse company that’s leading the industry through product innovation, cutting-edge business practices, and an expansive media presence. Check out the website to learn more.

AAHOA has joined with the University of Houston Conrad Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management to create a 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.

Keeping pace with recent predictions, guests are continuing to combine business and leisure travel as workers continue to express a strong preference for work-from-home options and employers allow for increased flexibility.

Thanks to robust technological offerings, hoteliers and restauranteurs are finding success in deploying artificial intellligence solutions to improve guest and customer experiences.

During last week's NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, executives cited increased demand and robust pricing as key drivers of industry recovery and growth, even in spite of rising prices elsewhere across the economy.