AAHOA officers Chairman Bruce Patel, Vice Chairman Bhavesh Patel, Treasurer Hitesh "HP" Patel and 2015 AAHOA Chairman Jay "Jimmy" Patel will serve as panelists next Tuesday and Wednesday at the Lodging Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. We’re excited to have such a strong presence at this year’s event and encourage everyone to attend! Click here for the full agenda.

AAHOA Vice Chairman Bhavesh Patel and AAHOA President and CEO Chip Rogers addressed meetings of the EconoLodge Franchisee Association (ELFA) and the Rodeway Owners Associations yesterday in Philadelphia. Our sincere thanks to ELFA and Rodeway for allowing AAHOA the opportunity to speak to their members!

We’re happy to report another successful regional event last night in Cherry Hill, New Jersey! In addition to two excellent educational sessions, we held the first-ever Young Professionals focus group, led by your YP Directors at Large, Neal Patel (West) and Binita Patel (East). We also had the honor of hosting New Jersey State Assemblyman Raj Mukherji on the AAHOA stage! As always, we are tremendously grateful for the generous (over $19,000!) PAC donations from Mid Atlantic members – we couldn’t do it without you! Finally, congratulations to Rohan Patel, your 2016-2017 Mid Atlantic Premier Ambassador!

Two lawsuits were filed yesterday in Texas against the Labor Department's overtime rule, one by attorneys general in 21 states and the other by 50 business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The rule, which takes effect in December, will double the overtime salary threshold to $47,476 for employees who work more than 40 hours in a given week.

A recent report by Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, notes that ADA Title III lawsuits have increased by 62.4 percent this year compared to 2015. From January 1 to June 30, over 3,400 ADA lawsuits were filed in federal court, and experts predict that this number will surpass 7,000 by the end of the year.

We are just days away from early voting, and less than two months away from the national election. Are you registered and prepared to cast your ballot? 

Thanks to John and Kathleen Hogan and their colleagues, as always, for another excellent CHO workshop! It’s been a great week in Tampa, and we’re looking forward to adding lots of new CHOs on Friday. 

Don’t miss the opportunity to knock out your CHO recertification at upcoming brand conferences! On Oct. 15, AAHOA will offer a CHO recertifcation and exam at the Best Western Hotels & Resorts annual convention in Phoenix. On Dec. 5, get recertified at the Vantage Hospitality conference in Las Vegas! 

At some affordably priced hotels in the United States, a free breakfast is increasingly a perk of a stay. And these aren’t the expected cereal and toast meals: Properties are getting creative by offering expanded buffets and health-conscious dishes.

Following months of media hazing for "dimming" some hotel listings, Expedia has formally announced that the company will discontinue the practice by which images and other pertinent property details are stripped from certain listings. Reducing a hotel’s visibility on the site and, consequently, diminishing its booking potential, the practice was largely viewed as the OTA’s retaliatory response to the industry’s proactive push for more direct bookings.

 

In the daily operations of your hotel, you know that there are many ways travelers find your property, from traditional billboards and print advertising to the newer digital options including websites and OTAs. While it’s true some travelers still make hotel decisions based on the nearest exit when they can’t drive any more, or based on where they can get the best last-minute deal, virtually everyone else turns online to scrutinize this decision.

Looking to hop aboard the wellness wave? You don’t have to rebrand as a destination spa. It can be much easier than that. I remember my early post‑college days working for a Fortune 50 firm where there was limited regard for one’s health. Meetings held in a haze of tobacco smoke; cholesterol and calories were mere words undeserving of their accounting ledger, and trans‑fats weren’t even known (let alone demonized).