AAHOA was front and center at The Lodging Conference this week in Phoenix, which brings together the hotel industry's most influential leaders and dealmakers to discuss the latest around development, finance, franchising, management, construction, design, and operations.

 

From hosted receptions and an AAHOA update onstage, to many meetings with brand leaders and representatives and officer speaking engagements, AAHOA's influence was felt at this popular industry event. Chairwoman Jagruti Panwala joined other industry leaders in the General Session on the “A View from the C-Suite” panel, while Vice Chairman Biran Patel spoke on economy and limited-service hotels. Hotel investing in 2020 and beyond was the topic of discussion during Treasurer Vinay Patel's panel, while Secretary Nishant (Neal) Patel gave insights on the select-service hotels panel. Interim President & CEO Rachel Humphrey discussed the latest initiatives, including advocacy and human trafficking awareness, and the great work we’re accomplishing as an organization in the AAHOA update.

 

Head over to our social media channels to learn the latest. 

 

Nearly 200 women hoteliers turned out for the Women Hoteliers Networking Reception Tuesday in Las Vegas, during the Wyndham Global Conference. Female Director Eastern Division Lina Patel and Female Director Western Division Nimisha Patel stressed the importance of participation and highlighted AAHOA's role at the forefront of the movement to empower and elevate women in the hospitality industry.

 

Nimisha pointed to statistics that show supporting and advancing women leaders is better for business. “For profitable firms, a move from no female leaders to 30-percent representation is associated with a 15-percent increase in net revenue margin,” she said. "But the same report found women comprise 12 percent of hotel company leadership positions and only 4 percent of CEO jobs at hotel companies." Nimisha urged attendees, especially the young women just starting their careers, to eye leadership roles to increase those numbers. AAHOA, however, represents a beacon of light in the darkness, Lina told the audience. "AAHOA is an association that works to empower women hoteliers because it recognizes the integral part we play in the hospitality industry," she said. "That’s why AAHOA’s engagement and prioritization of development opportunities for women are instrumental in our professional advancement. I am proud of the opportunities that AAHOA helps women hoteliers realize."

 

Gov. Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp, Sen. David Perdue, Attorney General Chris Carr, Rep. Doug Collins. and Rep. Jan Jones will join AAHOA, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), and the Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association (GHLA) at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, October 1 at the Georgia Human Traffic Awareness Conference. The conference is a part of a series of nationwide regional events to train employees and raise national awareness of the industry’s long-standing legacy and commitment to combating human trafficking. The state officials and lawmakers will also participate in a human trafficking prevention training session with hotel employees at the Atlanta-headquartered IHG’s InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta. The training session will be conducted by Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST). Register today.

HX: The Hotel Experience Powered by AAHOA is fast approaching. Have you registered yet? With a Young Professionals Networking Reception, 24 AAHOA-curated educational sessions, and hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest industry products and services, you don't want to miss it. Register today using promo code AAHOA19 and save: Receive a free two-day expo pass, and pay just $175 to receive a two-day conference pass or $100 for a one-day conference pass. We’ll see you in the Big Apple! 

 

Head over to Facebook to regularly see our members doing great things, such as: volunteering to pack food for Feed My Starving Children to help undernourished kids in Arkansas; being recognized by HOTEL MANAGEMENT magazine on this year's list of 30 Under 30; hosting a Town Hall in San Francisco, CA; being honored by the Indo-U.S. Chamber of Commerce of Tampa Bay, FL; attending a 'Howdy, Modi' in Houston, TX; being featured in an interview on LinkedIn; and so much more!

 

Join us for the Regional Conference & Trade Show closest to you for access to top vendors, incredible networking opportunities, and region-specific industry updates you won't see anywhere else. Open to all hoteliers, and AAHOA Lifetime Members get a free gift for attending. 

 

Town Halls are a great opportunity to build your professional network and to learn more about AAHOA programs and resources available to help you strengthen every aspect of your business. These events are open to all hotel owners, even if you're not already a member. 

 

AAHOA and the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) have partnered to create a hands-on digital marketing seminar that gives you a comprehensive look at content strategy, maximizing ad opportunities, utilizing data analytics, reputation management, and more. This valuable and informative seminar, to be held October 1 in Lafayette, CA, is just $129/person to attend. Learn more here, then register to attend. You don't want to miss it! (Please note that this event is for members of AAHOA and CHLA only.)

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey reports, “Luxury (+16.7%) was the strongest chain scale for branded hotels; Economy was the weakest at +0.0%. Upper Midscale (+2.7%) and Midscale (+0.3%) underperformed the industry average. Last week's data showed very strong results due to the Jewish High Holidays y/y calendar shift (the calendar shift was expected given Yom Kippur midweek in last year's comp). The layout of impact was straightforward last week. In easy comp weeks like last week, corporate travel (especially Group) should outperform and that did occur. Group was +25.9%, with occupancy +16.3%. The highest-rated chain scales (orienting to business travelers, especially Group) also outperformed.”

 

 

As North America’s leading hospitality procurement services provider, Avendra offers AAHOA Members competitive pricing from its 800+ supplier contracts. Earn huge savings on engineering, rooms operations, administrative, replacement FF&E, and more! Visit their website or call 866-AVENDRA and start saving today!

Northeast Bank is a nationwide SBA lender that specializes in owner-occupied commercial real estate, business acquisitions, and refinances. As one of the nation's top SBA hotel lenders, we have the expertise needed to effectively deliver government-backed loans to enhance your hotel – from PIPs to FFE to expansions and more. As an SBA Preferred Lender, our dedicated in-house team can process your loan application faster, helping you secure the capital needed to grow your business. Contact Fred Schwartz or visit their website today!

AAHOA Members, receive semi-annual hospitality survey reports directly to your email. Reports include information for positions, including general manager, front desk manager, sales representatives, housekeeping, and more for all 20 AAHOA regions, aggregated by state. Click here to view the 2019 U.S. Lodging Wage Forecast.

According to a report by the International Tourism Partnership, hotels must reduce absolute carbon emissions "by 66 percent by 2030 and by 90 percent by 2050...to fully play their part in mitigating global warming." However, many hotel brands do not have emission reduction goals. Industry professionals share how they believe hotels can better prepare to reach these goals. 
(Source: Hospitality Net)

The hotel industry was responsible for 1 in 25 jobs in 2018, according to a study conducted by Oxford Economics. The study also revealed that the total number of jobs supported by the hotel industry rose from 1.1 million in 2015 to 8.3 million in 2018 and that a hotel hotel with 100 occupied rooms supports 241 total jobs.
(Source: Hotel Management)

Modular construction could save $22 billion annually on projects in the U.S. and Europe, according to a report by research and consulting firm McKinsey, and could shave off up to 50 percent of standard construction times. There are a few facets that hoteliers should look out for when considering modular construction, such as being certain they can achieve scale and repetition. 
(Source: Construction Dive)