Through AAHOA, you can save on shipping with UPS. Take advantage of discounts of up to 35 percent*, plus 50 percent* off select services for up to four weeks after you enroll!* Save on a broad portfolio of shipping services, including air, international, ground and freight services. To enroll and start saving, visit savewithups.com/aahoa or call 1-800- MEMBERS (1-800- 636-2377), M-F, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST.

Yesterday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and International Franchise Association issued a comprehensive report on the joint-employer issue titled "Main Street in Jeopardy: The Expanding Joint Employer Threat to Small Businesses." This detailed report reveals the numerous, harmful effects that joint-employer expansion will have on American small businesses.

A Texas court heard arguments Monday from the Chamber of Commerce on why it should enjoin enforcement of the Labor Department's new "persuader rule" during the pendency of its lawsuit against the agency. The persuader rule requires that companies disclose the hiring of union-busting firms even when those firms don't come into contact with workers. The court will likely rule on the injunction bid in the coming weeks. 

On July 15, Hyatt Place Chicago will host AAHOA’s Young Professionals for a day of networking and education. Don’t miss the opportunity to talk face to face with Hyatt leadership and learn about the luxury brand’s history, culture and ongoing development. 

Avoid copyright infringement! Click to RSVP for the AAHOA webinar on music licensing next Wednesday, June 29.

About two-thirds of U.S. cities have fully rebounded from the recession and are now at peak employment levels, highlighting the steady job gains and tightening labor market across wide swathes of the nation. That’s pushing wages higher in many metro areas, generating more disposable income for households and supporting spending on housing and other goods and services, according to a report for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

So much of what we do as hotel managers boils down to how we treat our team members. Not only must we be good role models, but we must also be observant and correct bad behavior before it turns into a habit. 

We all want loyal customers. They save us money on advertising costs and agency fees because they are likely to come back to us directly to rebook. They are more likely to tell others about us and send us referral business. They make our staff feel good, because there can be a relationship that develops and regular customers are more likely to leave larger tips. So how do you get that kind of loyalty? The key is delivering consistently excellent, and sometimes surprising, customer experiences. Let’s break that down.

The ability to form successful partnerships, similar to how we build an internal team of executives and staff, is an essential function and distinguishing skill of all hotel executives. Some relationships are, by their nature, short-lived. Others can last a lifetime. The business relationships and partnerships that we create in our organizations, in many ways, define who we are, how we deliver to our customers and to the promise behind our brand. They’re a direct indicator of our overall success and profitability.