The Hotel Collective Podcast recently featured AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake, and it's an episode you won't want to miss. In this episode, Blake gives a masterclass on the following six specific points current and future hotel franchisees should be aware of before signing their franchise agreement.

As President and CEO, Blake is focused on promoting fair franchising and franchise advocacy, evaluating the franchisor-franchisee relationship in an effort to improve the ROI, and helping to educate members about the legal aspects of their franchise agreements. Blake is also prioritizing strategies for legislative advocacy and building alliances with those who support hospitality.

 

This installment of The Hotel Collective could save you a great deal of future pain if you listen carefully and understand what kind of leverage you have in the negotiation process. Tune in now via the following platforms:

 

AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake and Director of State Government Affairs Western Division Rachel Stone were featured in Hotel Dive’s recent article on hotel accessibility.

 

The article delved into the upcoming Supreme Court case Acheson Hotels LLC v. Deborah Laufer. This case involves a woman with a disability who sued the Maine-based hotel group in 2020, alleging its websites weren’t up to standards set by the Americans With Disabilities Act.

 

Blake called Acheson Hotels LLC v. Deborah Laufer “a big case that we are watching on behalf of our members.” Meanwhile, Stone has been tracking other ADA-related lawsuits at hotels.

 

In California, Stone said, approximately 92% of all accessibility claims are filed by only five law firms, and of those claims, only 5% result in a legal judgment. Settlements, on the other hand, range from $5,000 to $25,000 on average.

 

“What we’re seeing is law firms targeting these small businesses or spa hotels for financial gain,” she said.

 

“Many of these businesses are owned by immigrants,” Stone added. “They speak English as a second language, or they may not have the resources to fight litigation. So what ends up happening is they end up settling these lawsuits — and some of these are millions of dollars — out of fear.” 

"It's an ideal fit. Women have always traditionally been the home-keepers; hotels are home away from home for many of our guests. As a woman hotelier, we level up at something that is very much already a part of who we are."

 

Today, August 24, from 2:00-2:45 PM EDT, AAHOA is hosting its second webinar in two weeks, titled, "Is Music in Your Hotel Putting You at Legal Risk?"

 

Studies show music enhances your business by making customers happier. But, it’s important to know that under federal copyright law, when copyrighted music is performed in any establishment, permission must be granted from the copyright owner. In most cases, that permission comes in the form of a music license.

 

In this webinar, you will hear from Daniel Spears from BMI who will help you navigate the complex world of music licensing. BMI represents more than 1.3 million songwriters, composers, and publishers with over 20.6 million musical works.

 

 

Don't put yourself at risk when delighting your guests with the sound of music!

 

 

 

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!

AAHOA Members get a 25% discount on the STAR report (during the 1st year of enrollment), a 15% discount on Pipeline reports, and a 10% discount on the School Break Report. Click here to view additional benefits, then contact STR at (615) 824-8664, ext. 3504 or info@str.com to get started.

Red Roof is a leader in the economy lodging industry with franchised, corporate-managed, and corporate-owned properties, serving millions of guests each year. With coast-to-coast locations, Red Roof has over 360 properties in the U.S. The primary goal at Red Roof is to provide customers with savings without sacrificing comfort. The brand recently completed a $150 million investment to renovate and upgrade hotels nationwide with sleek and modern NextGen® redesign elements.

Hoteliers are well aware of the importance of a positive first impression, and many of the most successful properties are in a state of constant evolution in an attempt to hone and improve the guest experience.
(Source: Forbes)

With guests as value-minded as ever, hotels are getting creative with pricing and promotions in an effort to gain a competitive edge.
(Source: Hospitality Net)

As the workforce shortage persists, hotel executives and management are implementing new and age-old techniques alike to fill staffing vacancies.
(Source: CoStar)

Truist Securities reports, “Overall U.S. RevPAR was +1.8% y/y for the week ending 8/19/2023, per STR, slightly below the prior week's result of +2.0%, and slightly above the trailing 10- week average of +1.7%. Versus 2019, RevPAR was +14.1%, slightly above the prior week’s result of +13.6%, and above the trailing 10-week average of +12.5%. Last week's results appear to reflect some impact from Tropical Storm Hilary as evidenced by end-of-week occupancy trends in major Southwest markets. Upscale RevPAR: +3.7% y/y and +7.2% vs. 2019; Upper Midscale RevPAR: +1.8% y/y and +14.9% vs. 2019.”
For more, read the full report here, and read the China/Europe report here.