Regional Director Sanjay Patel and his Ambassadors hosted the Alabama Regional Conference & Trade Show in Birmingham on Thursday. Rep. David Wheeler and Ken King from Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin's office, Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato, and Mindy Hanan, president and CEO of the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association were the featured speakers. Chairwoman Jagruti Panwala, Secretary Nishant (Neal) Patel, and Interim President & CEO Rachel Humphrey delivered the AAHOA update. The trade show offered attendees the chance to browse the latest products and services and also to build and strengthen new and existing relationships.

AAHOA Chairwoman Jagruti Panwala was the featured guest speaker Tuesday at Hilton's API Spotlight. Jagruti shared insights about women in leadership, the future of the hospitality industry, highlights from her own career, and her personal approach to doing business. The event, held at Hilton's headquarters in McLean, VA, is designed to promote diversity and inclusion in the industry.

AAHOA Treasurer Vinay Patel was the featured speaker at the Hospitality International Convention in Atlantic City, NJ, on Tuesday. Vinay gave an AAHOA update at the convention, the theme of which was "Accelerating Growth, Imagining the Possibilities," The Hospitality International Convention is an annual event for all franchisees of Hospitality International, which includes Red Carpet Inns, Scottish Inns, and others.

 

AAHOA Secretary Nishant (Neal) Patel stressed the importance of relationships at the EconoLodge Franchisee Association/Rodeway Owners Association education summit on Tuesday in Laguna Hills, CA. Neal gave an industry update and emphasized the vital role of associations such as AAHOA in providing a bridge between franchisors and franchisees to better facilitate open communication, collaboration, and cooperation.

AAHOA Secretary Nishant (Neal) Patel will be a featured speaker at the second annual IMN New Hotel Construction & Development (West) Conference, October 28-29 in Santa Monica, CA. Neal will be on the "Reimagining Hospitality 10 Years from Now" panel and will give insight from the millennial perspective on issues such as which technologies will become commonplace and which will become obsolete, and what macroeconomic and geopolitical trends will have the most significant impact in the coming decade. Register today.

 

The Midwest might be America's heartland, but it's the Mid South that's capturing the attention – and dollars – of investors. Should hotel owners/developers be taking note? That will be the focus of a Hotel ROI set for October 24 in Nashville, TN, during the Mid South Regional Conference & Trade Show. The Hotel ROI series, conducted by Hotel Management in partnership with AAHOA, features one-hour education sessions that deliver relevant, market-specific information to help hoteliers maximize returns on their investments.

 

Thinking about financing new construction? Then don't miss "The Lender's View: The Construction Financing Landscape of Today and Tomorrow" at HX: The Hotel Experience Powered by AAHOA on November 10-11 in New York City, where financial experts will give you tips on how to present the most persuasive deal. This is only one of the 24 AAHOA-curated education sessions you'll have access to at HX, which also will feature a Young Professional Hoteliers Networking Reception and an expo filled with hundreds of exhibitors. Register today using promo code AAHOA19 and save!

Head over to Facebook regularly to see our members doing great things around the nation! This week, we held our very first Town Hall in Laramie, WY, which drew hoteliers from around the state, some of whom drove great distances to attend; we held Town Halls in Tucson, AZ, and Pasco, WA, and we hosted Young Professional Hoteliers Town Halls in Oklahoma City, OK, and Los Angeles, where Anthony Melchiorri, host of the Travel Channel's hotel turnaround show "Hotel Impossible," was the keynote speaker.

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 receive 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. 

Complete with a tour of Baywood Hotels home office, AAHOA will present a "How to Form a Management Company" workshop on October 22-23 in Columbia, MD. Watch a video from Baywood Hotels President Al Patel, and hear about what he's looking forward to most. This valuable workshop will walk you through how to transform your enterprise into a hotel management company, and top industry experts will share best practices and innovative organizational initiatives to help you achieve success. Don't miss it! Register today.

 

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey reports, “Economy (-4.9%) was the 'strongest' chain scale for branded hotels; Luxury was the weakest at -12.9%. Upper Midscale (-5.2%) and Midscale (-5.1%) outperformed the industry average. Last week's results reflected the tough holiday calendar shift (Rosh Hashanah on Sunday night to Tuesday in the 2019 data vs. a non-holiday week in 2018). As we anticipated, RevPAR was materially negative. We assume a continued tough comp in next week's results given Yom Kippur occurring on Wednesday (a midweek holiday negatively impacts corporate travel more than a holiday at the beginning or end of the week). The negative RevPAR in late September/early October is a partial give-back from the +7.0% RevPAR growth for the week ending 9/21/19.”

For more, read the full report here.

HBO, the oldest and longest continuously operating pay TV service in the U.S., is offering AAHOA Members the chance to earn money back. Members get a rebate of $9 per room (5-year contract) or $7 per room (3-year contract) when they add the service at their properties. Click here today to complete the rebate form and get started.

As the world's leading provider of electronic locks, in-room safes, and energy management solutions, Onity offers AAHOA Members a full spectrum of advanced facility management technology. Onity locks are simple to program and easy to use, providing dependable protection while keeping lock-related issues to a minimum. For more information, contact Mark Lewitt or visit the Onity website today!

AAHOA has joined with the University of Houston Conrad Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management to create a AAHOA Scholarship. AAHOA will contribute a total of $125,000 to UH over five years, which began in 2016. The contributions will be matched by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, creating a $250,000 fund to be named the AAHOA Student Assistantship & Scholarship Endowment. To date, 30 students have benefited from this scholarship. To find out more about the qualifications or how to apply, please click here. 

Using AR can seem daunting, as is usually the case when new technology arrives. However, utilizing AR in a smart way can dramatically improve the guest experience. AR can make a guest feel at home, if that's what they desire. But it also offers more practical uses, such as providing instant translation tools for international travelers. 
(Source: Hotelier Academy)

Five bills have been passed to amend California's privacy legislation. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the bills, which make amendments on what kind of hospitality employee information is collected and changes to the consumer rights request process, among other amendments.
(Source: Lexology)

Using AI has helped revenue managers focus on strategy rather than spending their time crunching numbers. The results have been astounding and fast, with some brands seeing revenue increase by millions of dollars each year. Aside from saving time and making money, there are other benefits to utilizing AI as part of your revenue management team, such as smart pricing that includes what OTAs offer.
(Source: Hotel News Resource)