Participants at AAHOA’s last CHO workshop of the year are winding down their week in Woodbridge, Virginia, where instructors John and Kathleen Hogan led the class through in-depth discussions on topics including HR, front-desk issues, housekeeping and much more. Congratulations to our newest grads! We’re proud of your hard work!

We’re excited to be joining industry partner Red Lion Hotels/Vantage next week at their annual conference in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino! The AAHOA officers will hold a brand alliance meeting (BAM), and there will be an AAHOA booth on the trade-show floor for attendees to learn more about our work on behalf of hoteliers. Stay tuned for photos!

"The SEIU-funded fight for $15 campaign sponsored protests in 340 cities across the country Tuesday, including strikes at Chicago's O'Hare and Boston's Logan airports, where baggage handlers, cabin cleaners and skycaps joined picket lines." In addition, "McDonald's and other fast-food workers went on strike, as did Uber drivers in two dozen cities."

Yesterday, Representative Nancy Pelosi was chosen again to serve as the U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader. Pelosi beat challenger Tim Ryan (D-OH) in a 134-63 vote.

Last week, a federal judge in Texas granted a preliminary injunction against the new overtime rule, delaying action and quite possibly defeating the new salary threshold that was supposed to be implemented today. For the time being, the salary threshold for eligible overtime pay is still $23,600. What should small business owners do now?

Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, 2:30 p.m. EST: If you are familiar with the basic requirements in the ADA and ADA Accessibility Standards for transient lodging facilities and are ready for a more "advanced" discussion of these provisions, this is the session for you!

Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, 3–3:20 p.m. EST: How do guests find and book your hotel? Advanced technology is changing the way guests do business with the hospitality industry and simple changes can impact your bottom line.

Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, 2–2:20 p.m. EST: Join us to learn how to cut your tax bill so you aren’t giving up money that belongs in your pocket. Discover top strategies that will maximize your investments and minimize your taxes.

Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016, 3–3:20 p.m. EST: Base impact is the effect of new competition on an existing property, resulting from the addition of hotel rooms that do not share the same brand.

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016, 2–2:20 p.m. EST: Retirement planning can be challenging, especially for entrepreneurs and small business owners. As you think about your retirement years, have you ever considered using your business to create a pension plan that will pay you a predefined income stream every month?

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Three Tennessee resorts were razed by wildfires that remain active throughout the region. The Black Bear Falls log-cabin rental resort and the Westgate Mountain Resort & Spa were destroyed by the fires, according to a statement released by state emergency management spokesman Dean Flenearer.

There a lot of "double-edged sword" issues on the minds of hotel operators these days. Hotel occupancy levels are at record levels, but that is attracting the attention of developers and therefore the threat of new competition. Inflation and interest rates have been low for an extended period of time, so it is natural to assume that both will eventually start to trend upward. While revenues and profits continue to grow, so do expenses.

The new joint-employer standard will result in harmful corporate consolidation of local small businesses. Americans love to shop local. Many of us actively seek out the smaller mom-and-pop establishments in order to support our local communities. Last year, more than 95 million people took part in Small Business Saturday, and I was one of them.

Flag selection is one of the most critical decisions you have to make when building a new hotel or rebranding, outside of location and financing. It can have sweeping impacts on just about every operation, and yet there are few guides available, apart from speaking to each firm’s sales folks and eliminating those brands in immediate geographic conflict.