The City of Santa Cruz recognized the owners of Surf City Inn & Suites--including AAHOA North Pacific Regional Director Kamalesh (KP) Patel--for their kindness in providing evacuees shelter and clothing after a fire. The owners opened up their lobby, offered coffee and tea, and provided extra clothing to evacuees. "I believe in Karma. I believe in just doing what's right at the end of the day," says KP.

AAHOA has partnered with the Americas Lodging Investment Summit to co-host the ALIS Summer Update events in Dallas/Frisco on July 11 and Atlanta on July 12. Hotel investment leaders from across the country, including AAHOA President & CEO Chip Rogers and Treasurer Biran Patel, will share their insights on timely hotel development and investment topics. Click here to learn more and register.

AAHOA members will earn their Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA) in Irving, TX on July 31. At a time when data-based decision-making is more important than ever, it’s imperative that hotel owners learn how to make the most of the data provided by hotel analytics reports. The deadline to register for this workshop is July 10. Click here to learn more and register at the discounted AAHOA rate.

AAHOA Young Professional Director Nishant (Neal) Patel honored local law enforcement at an event at one of his hotels in Round Rock, TX last week. In the wake of the package bombs earlier this year, Neal offered his hotel to be used as a staging area during the hunt for the perpetrator.

What did you miss this week? Check out the AAHOA Facebook page to view photos of our members doing great things: Florida Regional Director Bharat Patel met with Governor Rick Scott, AAHOA hosted a Young Professionals Development Day at Hyatt, we posted more photos of the AAHOA Young Professional Hoteliers Conference, and more.

Modular construction is taking over the hotel construction industry, saving companies time and money while simultaneously increasing the quality of manufacturing new hotels. Join us for this workshop on September 5 in Oklahoma City, OK to learn all about modular units, how they are financed, and whether modular construction is a good fit for your next hotel project.

Now more than ever, your guests are relying on technology to provide them with a positive and seamless experience at your property. Learn about what technology is available today—and what’s coming tomorrow—in AAHOA’s newest workshop: Technology Leadership: The (Virtual) Reality of an Evolving Guest Experience Workshop, taking place in Palo Alto, CA on September 17. Click here to learn more and register.

The How to Develop a Hotel Workshop is back by popular demand! Join us in Tampa, FL on August 30-31 for a workshop designed to guide you through all the steps of developing a new hotel, from financing to permits to construction plans. The workshop is limited to the first 100 registrants, so don’t wait! Click here to learn more and reserve your space.

AAHOA partners with JF Capital Advisors to provide monthly reports with detailed financial analyses of the trading levels, valuations, and credit statistics of the publicly traded hotel companies (both REITs and C-Corps) in the United States. View the full report and a helpful explanation here.

An ordinance that took effect this week now requires Chicago hotels to provide "panic buttons" accessible to workers. The button sends a message to the cellphone of the employee's supervisor, manager, and human resources department providing the name and location of the worker that pushed the button. (Source: CBS News)

The sales and hotel occupancy tax paid by the hotel and motel industry is now extended to include short-term rental websites, such as Airbnb. The goal is to level the playing field between the two hospitality providers while generating revenue for the state. (Source: Monroe Now)

Artificial Intelligence is making its way into hotel rooms with the purpose to provide a better guest experience. AccorHotels' new campaign uses biometric data to better understand members of its loyalty program. "There's a fine line between cool and creepy," says travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt. (Source: Inc.)