Nominations are now being accepted for the third annual P&G Professional Community Hotelier of the Year Award presented in conjunction with AAHOA. The hotelier chosen as the winner of the award will have a $10,000 donation made in his/her name to the charity of his/her choice. The winner will be announced at the AAHOA Annual Convention and Trade Show in April.

AAHOA Founding Member Marcus & Millichap will be partnering with AAHOA in 2017 on a new initiative aimed at providing AAHOA members with crucial hotel-industry data. Under the terms of this new partnership, Marcus & Millichap will provide detailed regional and national reports and construction pipeline information. "This is a fantastic resource for our members," said AAHOA President and CEO Chip Rogers. "We’re grateful to Marcus & Millichap for their continued support and look forward to expanding our partnership in 2017 and beyond." The first report is coming soon, so watch your email!

Last week, several AAHOA members turned out for a successful State Capitol Hill Day in Richmond, Virginia. At this event, attendees sat down with state lawmakers and discussed critical issues facing hoteliers, including short-term rental fairness and tourism funding. 

AAHOA members: Our friends at the Job Creators Network are conducting a survey to analyze the perceived impact of the new presidential administration on your business. As small business owners and job creators, we need your input! Click here and spend just 30 seconds filling out this quick survey.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Hearing for Andrew Puzder, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Labor, has been moved to February 9. Puzder is the CEO of CKE Restaurants Inc., the company that owns the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. franchise brands. As one of America’s most prominent leaders on behalf of the franchise and small business industries, we strongly believe that Puzder is the right fit for this important role. Sign AAHOA’s action alert and tell congress to support Puzder for U.S. Secretary of Labor!

AAHOA Education is back in action after a short break at year’s end and ready to bring you the cutting-edge educational resources you’ve come to expect from AAHOA. Tune in on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 1:30 PM EST for "ADA Compliance: Website Accessibility" led by K&L Gates attorneys Stephanie Moot and Carol Lumpkin.

Five AAHOA lifetime members enjoyed the evening’s festivities at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., during the 2017 presidential inauguration. ABC World News’ David Muir was nearby and happy to jump into the photo! Left to right: Minesh Patel, Mike Patel, David Muir, Mukesh Patel, Naz Patel, and Paresh Bhakta.

February 16
Southwest Town Hall, Clovis, New Mexico 

February 28
South Central Texas Town Hall, San Marcos, Texas

March 2
Mid South Town Hall, Lexington, Kentucky

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To say 2016 was a bit of a bumpy ride for hotels’ corporate travel business, specifically transient, would be an understatement. The uncertainty of a U.S. Presidential election, coupled with mega mergers, Brexit, Zika and numerous geopolitical events, left many corporations, especially those in the U.S., with tightened corporate travel budgets in 2016. And comments from hotel and travel industry executives in 2016 demonstrated that.

Hotel developers remain bullish on Southern California, with more than 13,000 rooms under construction during 2016, plus 66,000 more in the planning pipeline. The 12 percent growth in last year’s construction activity over 2015 is documented in a new year-end report compiled by Orange County-based Atlas Hospitality Group.

Choice Hotels International officials believe they’ve been riding a wave of strong growth, spurred by the strength of the company’s upscale brands. Speaking with Hotel News Now during the 2017 Americas Lodging Investment Summit, Choice President and COO Patrick Pacious said growth of the Cambria Hotels & Suites brand and the Ascend Hotel Collection soft brand has been welcome because expansion in the upscale segment represents a new opportunity for the company.

The United States hotel industry has seen supply numbers creep up in recent years. In October, the U.S. saw 4,561 hotels with 554,226 rooms under contract in the pipeline, a year-over-year increase of 21.8 percent in room count, according to STR. But with so much supply coming online, some hoteliers might wonder what markets are safe to place their bets.

Renovations can be lumped into two basic categories: light and complete. Determining which suits your current needs is a good first step. This article is dedicated to the light category, as it is the type of renovation program you will experience most often as well as the one that represents the best opportunity for immediate returns.

Urban development has been booming of late, with many of the top 25 markets in the United States poised for exponential growth. According to STR, the top five markets in the majors in terms of rooms in the pipeline include: New York City, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles/Long Beach and Miami/Hialeah. But what’s the draw for developers when it comes to these urban markets?