2016 AAHOA Vice Chairman and ADM Hotels Principal Bhavesh Patel will serve on the Presidents Panel on Wednesday, Aug. 17, at the Southern Lodging Summit in Memphis, Tenn. The Presidents Panel "features a lively discussion on key issues, insights and opinions in the hospitality industry, moderated by Isaac J. Collazo of InterContinental Hotels Group."

The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) has joined with the University of Houston Conrad Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management to create a new AAHOA Scholarship. "This new AAHOA scholarship will help continue our efforts to steadily improve and professionalize hospitality," stated Chip Rogers, President & CEO of AAHOA. "The University of Houston is one of the premier schools in the world for hospitality education. The graduates of the Hilton school are the leaders of our industry and we are pleased to play a role in supporting the next generation."

AAHOA took Midwest City, Okla., by storm last Thursday at the 2016 Central Midwest Regional Conference. Attendance was strong, and Central Midwest members raised a stunning $40,000 for the AAHOA PAC! Thanks to the team at Reed Conference Center for all their help, and congratulations to Hitesh Patel, your 2016-2017 Central Midwest Premier Ambassador!

AAHOA’s North Texas region always makes us proud, and this conference was no exception. Thanks to North Texas members for raising over $9,000 in PAC funds – we couldn’t do it without your help! Finally, your 2016-2017 North Texas Premier Ambassador is Mayur Patel. Congrats, Mayur! We appreciate all your hard work.

U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez said Tuesday that proposed legislation in Massachusetts requiring employers to grant paid family leave could become a model for a federal law. The bill would give workers up to 16 weeks of paid family and medical leave, paid for by a state-administered fund to which employers would contribute. The proposal cleared the state Senate in July at the end of the legislative session, but didn't make it to the House in time.

Baltimore's $15 minimum wage proposal hit a roadblock. In a preliminary vote Monday, City Council members voted 7-4 in favor, but final passage requires eight ayes. City Councilman Carl Stokes looked like a possible eighth, but Tuesday he said he wouldn't support the proposal.

Mark your calendars for September 6 and 7! In less than a month, AAHOA will host its annual Fall National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C.

Join AAHOA for a fun day of golf on one of Oregon’s premier golf courses as we raise money for the BEST Alliance, Autism Society of Oregon and Make-a-Wish Oregon. Following the tournament, AAHOA will host an awards ceremony and dinner with plenty of great prizes. 

ADA compliance is a hot topic in the hotel industry. Accessible parking is a requirement of the Department of Justice, and hoteliers must comply to avoid fines and possibly lawsuits. Learn how to evaluate your property and determine whether your business meets DOJ requirements. Led by Nanette Odell, Ed.D., Life Quest Training & Consulting.

AAHOA members-only pricing! Reduce OTA fees and increase your revenue by partnering with Milestone. Get a silver package for just $299/mo. or a gold package for $499/mo. – including website design and promotion!

Grab-and-go-dining at hotels started out as a way to send guests on their way with a good breakfast (and leave them with a positive last impression of the hotel). But the trend has grown in scope to encompass other meals and snacks through the entire day and night. 

Facebook, the most popular social media platform, connects millions of people across the globe, and it didn’t take long for businesses to take notice and try to take advantage of what it offered. Hotel companies in particular found the platform to be a useful way to connect with guests and improve their service.

Years ago, I was driving former U.S. Secretary of State and Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus through some small towns as he campaigned for re-election. As we pulled into each town and event, we reviewed the attendee list of local businessmen, teachers and politicians so he could remember who was on his good side... and not-so-good side.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the word "greenwashing." Ironically, the word’s origin is in the lodging industry. It was in 1986 that New York environmentalist Jay Westervelt wrote an essay regarding the industry’s practice of placing placards in each room to promote the reuse of towels to "save the environment." Westervelt suggested that the real reason for the placards was to help increase profitability. For the most part, of course, he was not wrong.