AAHOA President and CEO Chip Rogers will address students at Michigan State University tomorrow as guest lecturer in the "Introduction to Hospitality Business" class. 

The AAHOA CHO workshop concluded last Friday in Austin, Texas, with 12 successful graduates. According to primary CHO instructor John Hogan, the new grads own a combined four dozen hotels, all of which will surely benefit from the CHOs’ new knowledge. Congrats to our new CHOs!

Tomorrow the Labor Department will release the last jobs report before Election Day. According to Politico’s Morning Shift publication, "The U.S. has averaged 178,000 new jobs per month in 2016." In addition, unemployment in September was 5 percent. Last week, the Commerce Department released an estimate of third-quarter GDP growth to be 2.9 percent, significantly higher than the second quarter’s 1.4 percent. 

A number of small businesses have recently been hit with ADA Title III lawsuits for having "inaccessible websites." Read this article to learn about this trend and to ensure that your business website(s) are in full compliance with the ADA. 

Do you know where your polling place is? Do you want to see a sample ballot before casting your official vote? Click here to access AAHOA’s Voter Toolkit and learn all that you need to know to effectively cast your ballot this election!

Just a few days until AAHOA’s Hospitality Trade Show Spotlight Event in the Central Midwest region! We’ve put together a fantastic event for hoteliers and are excited to share it with you. Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016, 2–2:30 p.m. EST: Disputes can be complicated. Learn more about the American Express chargeback and dispute process step by step, including why you see certain inquires and chargebacks.

Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, 2–2:30 p.m. EST: American Express will go through some common myths on credit card disputes, as well as best practices and tips to help prevent them.

 • Discounted printer products are offered with 100 percent two-year warranties
 • Maintenance kits
 • Printer parts
 • Exclusive AAHOA member number: 1-800-231-4553
 Got a question? Email us now! 

Major hotel chains are rethinking their loyalty programs in the face of a consolidating industry and pressure from outside forces such as Airbnb. Hyatt Hotels Corporation will launch a new loyalty program March 1 that will create three new elite tiers and reward guests not just for booking a stay but for spending on food, drinks and spa treatments.

With the U.S. Department of Labor’s new overtime-exemption rule scheduled to go into effect next month, the question hotel employers should be asking is, "Are we ready?" In May, the Department of Labor announced its plans to raise the salary threshold to $47,476 a year – up from the current $23,660 – by 1 December 2016. Anyone who earns less than the new threshold after the deadline becomes eligible for overtime pay.

Say what you will about Millennials. Call them tech-dependent (as Gen-Y expert and author Jason Dorsey has) or even cheap (they prefer "cost-conscious"). According to USA TODAY, in less than 10 years, they’ll make up 75 percent of the American workforce – a reality that has the hotel industry doing whatever it takes to call them customers.

To an outsider, a hotel is a mystery. Most travelers don’t know what it takes to run a hotel, says AAHOA member Vinay Patel, president and CEO of SREE Hotels. "Savvy travelers see what happens front of the house, but I don’t think anyone knows what goes on back of the house," said Vinay.