In its ongoing efforts to provide vital COVID-19 information and resources, AAHOA has added two new pages to its website, Health Resources and Deals & Discounts. In response to the negative effect the pandemic and economic downturn is having on many people's mental health, as well as the new barriers it has created for those already suffering from mental illness and substance abuse disorders, AAHOA has partnered with UnitedHealth Group to offer FREE access to several resources and hotlines for mental health, substance abuse, suicide prevention, and more. These resources are available to AAHOA Members, their employees, and their families. Visit the new webpage and download the free resources guide. In addition, many of AAHOA’s Industry Partners have launched new initiatives to assist AAHOA Members during these challenging economic times. Click here to learn more about these exclusive AAHOA-Member discounts, and check back often because new deals will be added on an ongoing basis.

Even during these difficult times for the hospitality industry, education and professional development should remain a priority. That’s why for the rest of April, AAHOA is offering its all-encompassing Certificate in Hotel Ownership^TM (CHO) for FREE. This reimagined CHO is a fully customizable all-digital platform that offers an in-depth look into 12 learning tracks: Investment & Development, Front Office, Financing, Hotel Ownership, Human Resources, Accounting, Major Support Departments, Leadership, Legal & Compliance, Revenue Management, Sales & Marketing, and Technology. If you sign up by 11:59 p.m. ET on April 30 using promo code FREEAPR20, you can earn your certificate at no charge, so don't wait! AAHOA Members have 90 days to complete the program from the time of enrollment. Learn more here.

With all the serious financial and operational issues hoteliers are facing because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important now than ever before that all AAHOA Members make sure they have created and fully completed their account at MyAAHOA.com. AAHOA needs your important data – company and personal information, email, date of birth, cell phone number, and confidential property data – to communicate with you and better advocate on your behalf for relief with government officials. By filling out your profile, you also have the potential to receive drastically fewer emails. When we know what's important to you, we can tailor our messages to fit your needs. If you have not already done so, please create and complete your MyAAHOA account today.

Head over to Facebook regularly to see our members doing great things! AAHOA Ambassador and President of Leva Patidar Samaj of Houston Saajan Patel, along with the non-profit's members, many of whom are AAHOA Lifetime Members, donated 5,000 gloves and 3,300 masks to Greater Houston area hospitals. The organization also made a monetary donation to the Houston Police Officers' Union for them to purchase PPE supplies for police officers. ... After learning that one of his friends, who is a doctor, was sleeping in his garage to keep his wife and children safe from possible COVID-19 exposure, AAHOA Lifetime Member Raj Patel had the idea to provide free hotel rooms for front-line responders. He took his idea to OYO corporate headquarters, which responded by immediately launching a nationwide initiative in all of its hotels to support Raj's effort.

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. For the most up-to-date listing of all our upcoming events, check the events calendar.

In the wake of the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry, AAHOA is bringing you a series of webcasts that will keep you informed and help determine next steps for your business. We have educated more than 8,500 hoteliers to date and feature 60 webcasts separated by category in our library. AAHOA is making these webcasts available to the industry, so be sure to share with those in your network, whether they're an AAHOA Member or not. 

 

Upcoming Webcasts: 

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey reports, “Economy (-41.0%) was the relatively strongest chain scale for branded hotels; Luxury was the weakest at -94.5%. Upscale (-82.2%) underperformed the industry average; Upper Midscale (-76.0%) outperformed. Last week's results represented a modest sequential improvement in RevPAR trends over the prior week's results (-79.4% for the week ending 4/18 vs. -83.6% for the week ending 4/11. There is a holiday shift impact given Passover/Good Friday was last week in 2019 vs. two weeks ago in 2020; the impact from the holidays pales in comparison to the virus demand shock.”

 

AAHOA Members earn 5 percent of revenue back, reduce OTA fees, and improve your guest-review scores. Plus, get your own personal FREE AAHOA Member app that includes features such as SMS texting, GPS mapping, local-area content, push messaging, and more. This app will help drive more revenue and increase guest engagement at your property. Contact Troy today to get started!

Sonu Satellite is a leading national hospitality supplier of entertainment technology and amenities. Our company has been serving hotel owners from coast to coast for more than 20 years. Our knowledgeable staff, diverse distribution channels, and vast network of technicians are focused on providing top-notch customer service to our ever-growing roster of national accounts. Contact Neil Doshi, visit the website or call 877-999-7668 for current pricing and promotions on a vast array of hospitality products and services.

AAHOA is proud to collaborate with Kennesaw State University to establish the Michael Leven and Lee Dushoff AAHOA Scholarship for Compassionate Leadership. This annual scholarship will support students seeking an undergraduate degree in hospitality management. For more on the qualifications and how to apply, please contact Seth Walker or call 470-578-2206. To make a tax-deductible contribution to the scholarship endowment, please click here.

Washington, D.C.-area hotels are suffering like many areas across the U.S. Less than 20 percent of the area's hotel rooms are filled and many locals are out of work. The U.S. has suffered like this in the weeks after 9/11 and the Great Recession. The trouble now is no one knows how long this will last.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, hotel openings were underway. Now, with those dates quickly approaching, hoteliers are making the most of the situation by relying on local suppliers, implmenting strict sanitization processes, and limiting employee access to offices. Despite the uncertain nature of hospitality right now, Newport, RI's The Wayfinder is preparing to re-open mid-May.

As the U.S. settles into a "new normal" with social distancing and limited travel, some are wondering what will come next. Fears are running high and hospitality will have to face that new normal. Sanitization certification, contactless arrival and departure, and tech-driven cleaning are on the horizon for long-term use.