Hotelier Weekly
July 11, 2024
Champion PTAC, LLC
AAHOA News
With sincere apologies, the original version of this email included an incorrect date for Manhar P. (MP) Rama’s funeral service. That date has been corrected below.
 
AAHOA Mourns the Loss of Past Chair Manhar P. (MP) Rama
What Happened: The AAHOA Community is deeply saddened by the passing of AAHOA Past Chair Manhar P. (MP) Rama on Sunday, July 7, at the age of 74. An icon in the hospitality industry, MP served as AAHOA Chairman from 2005 to 2006. Rama is preceded in death by his brothers, Dinu (D.P.) and Jayanti (J.P.) Rama, AAHOA Past Chairman, who passed away in February of 2022. He is survived by his wife, Surekha; children, Sima and Vinay Rama; brothers, AAHOA Founder Hasmukh P. (HP) Rama and Raman P. (RP) Rama; and sisters, Madhu Vivek, Hansa Deva, Pushpa Lala, and Pravina Thakor.
 
The Big Picture: MP was a mentor and advocate for young professionals, providing invaluable guidance to many, including AAHOA Chairman Miraj S. Patel. MP's memory and contributions to AAHOA and the hospitality industry will forever be a blessing.
 
What's Next: Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 13, at Faith Assembly in Orlando, FL. Services will be live-streamed at https://faithassembly.org/live.
 
AAHOA Celebrates Successful Northeast Hotel Owners Conference & Trade Show
What Happened: The Northeast Hotel Owners Conference & Trade Show was a huge success! Shoutout to Regional Director Preyas Patel for his outstanding leadership and the Ambassadors for their incredible planning and hard work.
 
All in the Numbers: Welcoming nearly 200 attendees, the event gained 14 new members and raised over $50,000 toward the AAHOA PAC fund.
 
More Details: Special thanks to Rep. Carlos González (D-MA), Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Chris Pappas, President & CEO of Massachusetts Lodging Association, and Anthony Gullini, Hampden County District Attorney for joining us as esteemed guest speakers.
 
 
AAHOA Update: Hurricane Beryl Resources
What Happened: Hurricane Beryl made landfall near Matagorda, TX, on Monday at 4 a.m. CDT. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported ongoing threats of storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and flash and urban flooding.
 
Here to Help: To assist our members who live in the region, AAHOA has put together a list of resources. Some of these resources apply to all areas of the country as we enter the peak months for hurricanes and tropical storms. Many AAHOA Member-owned hotels are located on or near the path of hurricanes, making preparedness a top priority. We encourage all hoteliers to have a plan in place and to use AAHOA as a resource to protect their families, guests, and properties from the impact of hurricanes.
 
AAHOA is here to support you.
 
AAHOA Raises High Concerns about U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Criminalization of Outdoor Sleeping
What Happened: AAHOA expresses significant concerns over the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of the City of Grants Pass, OR, v. Johnson et. al., which criminalized outdoor sleeping.
  • Details of the Ruling
    • Oregon's ban on camping for unhoused residents upheld
    • Criminalizing sleeping in public spaces does not violate Eighth Amendment
    • City lacked sufficient shelters for unhoused residents
  • Implications
    • Impact on municipalities and businesses, including the hotel industry
    • Raises issues of public spaces, homelessness, and local government responsibilities
  • Specific Concern
    • Potential for similar efforts as seen in Los Angeles
    • Proposed LA ordinance would require hotels to report vacant rooms for unhoused residents using government vouchers
    • Concerns about burden on hotel industry, workers, guests, and local tourism
 
Lead Designs LLC
AAHOA Advocacy in Action
Join the Waitlist for the 2024 AAHOA Fall National Advocacy Conference
The 2024 AAHOA Fall National Advocacy Conference is only a few months away, Sept. 18-19, 2024. If you are interested in attending this event, please join our waitlist by filling out this form. AAHOA Members will be admitted to this event on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
Why it Matters: Attending FNAC allows AAHOA Members to directly engage with Members of Congress, influencing policy decisions and protecting industry interests while networking with peers and strengthening AAHOA's advocacy efforts. This opportunity amplifies our collective voice, ensuring that the hospitality industry's needs are addressed and fostering a favorable business environment.
 
Bottom Line: You have until Friday, Aug. 23, to join the waitlist, so don't delay!
Read the Latest Edition: AAHOA In Your Corner Advocacy Brief
What's New: The latest edition of AAHOA's In Your Corner Advocacy Brief has been released, and it's packed with everything you need to know about AAHOA's recent advocacy efforts.
 
Why It Matters: This essential monthly resource is designed to keep members informed and engaged with AAHOA's ongoing efforts to advocate for the hospitality industry.
 
Topics from this month's edition include:
Featured Content
AAHOA Announces New Educational Offerings
What's New: Through new partnerships with CoStar and AHLEI, AAHOA now offers its members exclusive discounts to access a suite of educational offerings for members and their staff. 
 
Deeper Dive:
 
HerOwnership
REMINDER: Register Today for the HerOwnership Conference by AAHOA!
AAHOA announced that registration is NOW OPEN for the Third Annual HerOwnership Conference by AAHOA!
  • Why it Matters: In its third year, the HerOwnership Conference is one of AAHOA’s most popular annual events, dedicated to networking, wellness, women empowerment, and education for women in hospitality. It provides an incredible opportunity to connect with industry leaders and fellow women entrepreneurs.
  • What You Need to Know: Registration is FREE for AAHOA Members, and non-members can attend for $199, which will convert to an Annual AAHOA Membership after attending the Conference. 
  • What's Next: AAHOA will soon be releaseing the detailed agenda for the event, so stay tuned! 
 
American Pride Bank
Charter Communications Operating, LLC
AAHOA Education
UPCOMING WEBINAR: Essential Training for Hotel Owners: Managing Guest Misconduct and Ensuring Safety
2-2:45 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, July 17, 2024
 
Join us for a meaningful training session dedicated to helping AAHOA Members navigate and handle sensitive situations with guests.
 
This special webinar is held in honor of the late Hemant Mistry, a beloved AAHOA Member who tragically passed away in June following a confrontation with a guest. In his memory, and to further protect the lives of hotel owners everywhere, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of your rights as a business owner and the laws that can help you address and manage challenging behaviors.
 
On-Demand Featured Webinar: Smart LNR/CNR Tactics to Boost Revenues. Don't Miss Out!
Join us for a fun and dynamic webinar that can help add revenue to your top line. Winning your fair share of Local Negotiated Rate (LNR) and Corporate Negotiated Rate (CNR) business is highly competitive and there are specific strategies that are proven to work better than others. Let us show you what you can do and what you should never do! Too many hotel owners believe getting these contracts is the finish line of the race. In fact, it's just the beginning. Learn how you can make your contracts generate even more room nights through online platforms, global sales teams, travel management companies, and partnerships.
Red Roof Inn
Featured Club Blue Member
DISH™ BUSINESS
  
Unlock future-ready entertainment and ROI with hotel entertainment technology from DISH Business. Seamlessly integrate live TV, streaming services, and casting capabilities through OnStream, guaranteeing an immersive guest experience. Maximize revenue potential by leveraging advertising, promoting amenities, and attracting group bookings, ensuring ROI while delivering memorable guest experiences. Built to adapt to your existing infrastructure, there's no reason to delay - tap into the possibilities with DISH Business today! Visit our website to get started.
DISH Business
Panasonic
Featured Member Benefit
NO VACANCY PODCAST
  
No Vacancy with Glenn Haussman is the travel industry’s most exciting podcast. It's a fun, fast-paced, genre-bending program that peels back the veneer of the travel business. Click here to subscribe to the No Vacancy Podcast.
Featured Platinum/Silver Partner
EXTENDED STAY AMERICA
  
Extended Stay America is a hospitality company that goes beyond the basics of just simple accommodations. We pride ourselves in focusing on long-term stays with emphasis on the right level of simplicity and functionality. To ensure we make quality connections with each one of our guests, we are determined to hire the right kind of people who have a desire to do great work, and ensure our values are passed on to you.
PayRange
Industry News
U.S. Hotel Commentary - May 2024
When compared against 2023's figures, May 2024 demonstrated growth in several key aspects of industry performance, including increased occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR, with the latter marking its best showing since March 2023.
(Source: HospitalityNet)
Industry Growth Could Come From Churn of Hotels
Due to ongoing financing challenges for new developments, much of the next phase of industry growth is projected to come from investment-minded operators acquiring established properties.
(Source: CoStar)
Cybercrime Continues to Pose a Major Threat to Online Booking
With the FBI reporting a continued rise in cybercrime this year, the hospitality industry continues to find itself in the crosshairs of thieves as online booking processes often store vast quantities of valuable data.
(Source: Hotel Management)
Naylor Association Solutions
Today's Hotelier

Building a better brand by tailoring experiences to guests

At The Indigo Hospitality Group, inquisitiveness is a virtue. Team members at the Charleston, SC-based company routinely Google guests’ email addresses and scour their Facebook profiles for information that can inspire a personalized experience.

Using that info, team members typically call guests days before their arrival and ask if they’d like to make reservations at the restaurant, for example.

Clean rooms, friendly workers, and well-maintained amenities are essential to a hotel’s success, but building brand loyalty and differentiating your property requires a personalized touch.

Read more
In the Market
U.S. RevPAR -0.4% y/y Last Week. 7/4 Leisure Results Overall Lethargic, Better for Luxury. Hurricane Beryl Impact
  
As Truist Securities wrote, “Overall U.S. RevPAR was -0.4% y/y for the week ending 7/6/2024, per STR, below the prior week's result of +6.9% y/y and below the trailing 10-week average of +2.1%. Last week demand was leisure-led due to July 4th on Thursday (the holiday was on a Tuesday last year). In our review of holiday performance toward the end of the week, we considered the results lethargic though "could have been worse". Performance by chain scale was uneven with Luxury far outperforming Economy/Midscale: the bifurcation of domestic leisure travel behavior today. There was also city-specific impact to the Gulf Coast from the approaching Hurricane Beryl. Upscale RevPAR: -1.6% y/y; Upper Midscale RevPAR: -2.4% y/y”.
 
For more, read the full report here, and read the China/Europe report here.