Hotelier Weekly
August 15, 2024
Champion PTAC, LLC
AAHOA News
AAHOA is thrilled to announce that the full agenda for the 2024 HerOwnership Conference by AAHOA is now available! Join us in Redondo Beach, September 12-13, for an empowering event designed to uplift women in hospitality.
 
Deeper Dive:
  • Keynote Speakers
    • Join Neeti Dewan, Day 1 Keynote Speaker, for her session, "Mindset Makeover: Personal & Business Growth Strategies of Top Women Hoteliers"
    • Join Raji Brar, Day 2 Keynote Speaker, for her session, "Building Bridges: The Power of Women in Political Engagement"
  • Breakout Sessions
    • Excel Together: Navigating Hotel Ownership with Brand Alignment with Marisa Rauchway, Franchise Attorney at CSG Law
    • Empower Your Brand: Personal Branding for Women Hoteliers with Heather Carnes, EVP/CSO at AAHOA
    • Embrace Your Power: Overcoming Doubt, Cultivating Self-Love, and Pursuing Your Dreams with Karishma Patel, Digital Creator, Podcast Host, & Self-Love Advocate
  • You’ll also enjoy
    • Two Pre-Conference Masterclasses: Two insightful and unique pre-conference masterclasses will be available, which include a Commercial Strategy Masterclass by Kalibri Labs, and an Insurance Essentials Masterclass by Gauthier, Murphy & Houghtaling.
    • A Reception inspired by the Italian Coast: AAHOA's La Dolce Vita reception, powered by Sonesta, will be an evening of relaxation and networking.
    • Inspiring Speakers from Diverse Backgrounds: Insightful speakers and panelists will share their wisdom and experiences, discussing a range of topics. These include how to collaborate with your spouse in the hotel industry and exploring the diverse career opportunities available to women in hospitality.
Check out the full agenda and register now to secure your spot! Spots are filling up quickly, and this conference WILL sell out.
 
What Happened: In Atlanta, GA, home of AAHOA Headquarters, the Georgia Hotel Owners Conference & Trade Show featured over 500 attendees, raised over $32,000 for PAC, gained 28 new members, and saw a 21% increase in the size of its trade show over last year. Huge congratulations to our Georgia Regional Director, Vik Zaver, and his Ambassadors for executing an impressive event.
 
Deeper Dive: Attendees had the privilege of hearing valuable insights from:
  • Hannah Palmquist, Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit Chief at the State of Georgia Office of the Attorney General
  • Chris Hardman, Director of Governmental Affairs & Membership at Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association (GHLA)
 
We need your input to support our advocacy efforts for the Loans In Our Neighborhoods (LIONS) Act (H.R. 7242), which proposes increasing Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) loan limits from $5M to $10M. 
 
Why it Matters: Your insights are crucial for influencing policy. Completing a brief 3-question survey by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Saturday, August 31, 2024, will bolster our case for enhanced financial support, directly benefiting our community and entrepreneurs across America.
 
Deeper Dive: Responses are confidential and pivotal in our collective advocacy efforts. When we each play a small role, we can have a great impact.
 
New York, NY and Atlanta, GA – August 15, 2024 – M3, LLC ("M3"), voted the number-one hospitality accounting software in North America, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement for a majority investment from Blackstone Growth and affiliated funds (collectively "Blackstone"). The investment will help to accelerate the company's growth by enhancing new product expansion and supporting the adoption of M3's software, which enables hotel operators to run more efficiently and effectively. AAHOA, representing nearly 20,000 hotel owners and 60% of hotels across the United States, will make its first ever strategic investment alongside Blackstone.

Founded in 1998 by hospitality industry veteran John McKibbon to address the accounting needs of his own family's hotel management company, M3 has grown into a leading hospitality-focused back-office accounting software platform that serves as the system-of-record for financial data for more than a thousand hotel operators and management companies today. It currently offers technological solutions including accounting, labor management and business intelligence to more than 8,000 properties
across North America. M3 has ranked as the nation's number-one hotel accounting software and financial reporting provider by HotelTech Report for the past four years.
 
Amerifab International, Inc.
PayRange
AAHOA Advocacy in Action
What Happened: Earlier this year, Congressman Shri Thanedar (MI-13) introduced H.R. 7242, the Loans in Our Neighborhoods (LIONS) Act. This piece of legislation would increase the maximum loan amount for the Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) program from $5 million to $10 million. AAHOA knows how important this increase would be for our industry, and we need your help to let Congress know.
 
Act Now: Write to your Member of Congress to garner support for this legislation and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 7242.Your voice can help move this legislation forward.
The 2024 AAHOA Fall National Advocacy Conference is officialy next month, 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 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!
Featured Content
If you are looking to do business with America's hotel owners, you need to partner with AAHOA.
 
AAHOA's recently released vendor partner video highlights ways potential AAHOA Vendor Partners can gain access to members of the largest hotel owners association in the country.
 
AAHOA Members are industry leaders with tremendous buying power and proven loyalty. If your business is in the hotel business, AAHOA is the place to be.
 
 
HerOwnership
What's Happening: Join event hosts Purnima Patel, AAHOA Women Hoteliers Eastern Division, Shetal Zina Patel, AAHOA Women Hoteliers Director Western Division, and Lina Patel, Director of Strategic Franchise Initiatives at Red Roof, for a Sunrise Soirée!
 
Powered by Ride with Red Roof, this event is to celebrate women in hospitality, where industry leaders share insights and inspire change.
 
When: Sunday, August 18, 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Where: Columbia Gorge Hotel & Spa, 4000 Westcliff Drive, Hood River, OR
Dress Code & Details: 
  • High Tea Derby Attire
  • Transportation will be provided from Hampton Inn Portland East (3039 NE 181st Ave, Portland, OR) 
    • Departing at 9:30 a.m.
    • Complimentary parking will be provided
 
American Pride Bank
Charter Communications Operating, LLC
AAHOA Education
📢 Join our "Decoding the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)" Webinar Series with Marisa Rauchway from CSG Law! 
 
AAHOA's first ever three-part webinar series presents:
 
Part 1: For Lodging and Other Franchises
📅 Date: Tuesday, Aug 20, 2024
🕒 Highlights: FDD Items 1-12, covering brand management, litigation, fees, supplier requirements, and territory.
👉 Register: Link to Part 1
 
Part 2: Getting at the Real Value
📅 Date: Wednesday, Sept 4, 2024
🕒 Highlights: FDD Items 13-23, discussing intellectual property, ownership options, sales restrictions, and financial performance.
👉 Register: Link to Part 2
 
Part 3: In the Trenches
📅 Date: Thursday, Sept 5, 2024
🕒 Highlights: Real-world stories of how understanding (or misunderstanding) the FDD impacts franchisees' success.
👉 Register: Link to Part 3
 
Whether you're a new or seasoned franchisee, this series provides essential insights into franchising trends and how to navigate the FDD to ensure your success. 
 
Reserve your spot today and earn an AAHOA Learning Journey Certificate! 
Red Roof Inn
Featured Club Blue Member
  
AAHOA Members, get 5 percent off all your everyday purchases when you use the Lowe’s LAR business credit card. There’s no annual fee, and you can make purchases by phone, fax, or at lowes.com/l/Pro/AAHOA. You’ll also be able to take advantage of exclusive cardholder promotions and receive discounted delivery on your purchases! Click here for more details, then contact Julie Patel (julie.patel@lowes.com) to get started.
DISH Business
Naylor Association Solutions
Featured Member Benefit
  
Since 2007, Jacaruso Enterprises has led the industry in Remote Hotel Sales Services. We support over 3,500 hotels worldwide, ranging from suburban, urban, airport, and metropolitan to boutique hotels. Our dedicated team of Regional Sales Directors with diverse expertise ensure we always have the right fit for your hotel and market niche. We help you navigate sales resources and brand tools, champion your brand’s sales culture, and customize specific strategies to boost your hotel’s revenues and rankings.
Featured Platinum/Silver Partner
  
Procell is the professional battery of the Duracell Company, which designs batteries and power solutions specifically for the needs of professional devices and industries. While other battery brands serve both retail and professional customers, Procell solely focuses on the professional market in order to guarantee products and services specifically designed for professional usage. As a result, Procell Alkaline batteries are used by millions of professional end-users and leading professional OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) around the world for its quality, reliability, performance, and service.
Naylor Association Solutions
Industry News
In a race to appeal to service- and hospitality-industry workers, Vice President Harris added a plan to eliminate taxes on tipped wages as part of her campaign platform.
(Source: MSNBC)
According to recent research, travelers continue to express an overwhelming preference for hotels when compared to short-term rentals, and understanding why this preference persists is key to helping hoteliers maintain their foothold.
(Source: Hotel Dive)
Public sentiment remains split on a proposed NY bill that would require hotels in the city to be licensed by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and it's a measure many hospitality industry groups, including AAHOA, have advocated against.
(Source: AmNY)
Naylor Association Solutions
Naylor Association Solutions
Today's Hotelier

Cost-effective saving and spending strategies heading into 2025

When it comes to maximizing a hotel’s revenue stream, there essentially are two approaches – spending to make money and implementing effective cost-saving methods – that continue to stand the test of time

Take a pause and look at the macros for a moment, and you’ll realize that labor issues – both shortages and rising pay rates – will be systemic contentions in the foreseeable future. Yes, the pandemic did a doozy on the total number of available workers in hospitality and tarnished its reputation for young recruits, but it’s hardly the only factor. To name a few: the rise of remote work and its incentives versus on-property jobs, diminishing total workforce numbers among Gen Z, and changes in immigration characteristics – all beyond your control.

Read more

In the Market
  
As Truist Securities wrote, “Overall U.S. RevPAR was +1.9% y/y for the week ending 8/10/2024, per STR, above the prior week's result of +1.3% y/y and above the trailing 10-week average of +0.9%. Economy chain scale RevPAR was +0.9% y/y, the first positive RevPAR growth week for Economy since mid-April 2024 (holiday shift impact). Economy RevPAR largely started to trend negatively in late Fall 2022. Upscale RevPAR: +2.1% y/y; Upper Midscale RevPAR: +1.1% y/y.”
 
For more, read the full report here, read the China/Europe report here, and read the most recent P&L analyzer here.