Last week, AAHOA Chairwoman Jagruti Panwala reached out to members with a video message of thanks for their extraordinary volunteer efforts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Panwala praised the work of the Board of Directors, Ambassadors, and countless members who have stepped up to offer real, tangible help to their communities, other members, and the industry, which all have been ravaged by this crisis. "We have seen the very real and tangible efforts of so many of you during this COVID-19 crisis. Stories that have united and uplifted and united us all when we need it most," Panwala said. "Thank you to all AAHOA volunteers who make a tremendous impact in the lives of so many. This is who we are. This is what makes us #AAHOASTRONG. Stay safe, everybody."

AAHOA has been offering its all-encompassing Certificate in Hotel Ownership^TM (CHO) for FREE for the month of April, but time is running out. After today, you'll have to pay full price for this reimagined CHO, a fully customizable all-digital platform that offers a deep dive 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 today 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.

COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on our businesses and our communities in many ways. It’s also making our communities even more vulnerable to the harms of human trafficking. While the many effects of COVID-19 on our communities are unavoidable, preventing human trafficking in our vulnerable communities is not. To help members join the fight to eradicate this scourge, AAHOA offers Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) Inhospitable to Human Trafficking Training Sponsored by AAHOA. This on-demand, fully digital training is completely FREE to all AAHOA Members and your employees. As we all navigate through this pandemic, there has never been a better time to complete this brief yet highly impactful training. The training is completely digital and free. Use this time of social distancing to earn your certificate.

As we all continue to explore the longer-term impacts of coronavirus, AAHOA is working diligently to provide up-to-the-minute updates on upcoming webcasts, resources, and communications to keep you abreast of the latest news and information about the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as it pertains to implications for America's hotel owners. We are updating the AAHOA website several times a day and sending out daily email updates as the situation continues to evolve, so be sure to check it often.

Head over to Facebook regularly to see our members exemplifying what it means to be #AAHOASTRONG! Lifetime Member and Ambassador Amita Patel of Tyler, TX, and other volunteers at the East Texas Food Bank have traveled more than 20,000 square miles distributing meal boxes and serving meals to those in need in East Texas, where 1 in 5 people suffer from hunger. In April alone, they have delivered 22,196 meal boxes and served 491,122 meals! ... AAHOA Member Kal Patel owns the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Northeast in Cincinnati, OH, and to his and his manager's surprise, a stranger walked in and wanted to book 50+ rooms with no intention of staying in them. This Good Samaritan wanted to help the hotel stay operational in order to keep employees on the payroll. Kal wanted to pay the gesture forward and has been housing those in need, including the homeless and women escaping domestic violence, in his hotels in Ohio and Kentucky. ... Alabama Regional Director Sanjay M. Patel shared his thoughts on the effects the COVID-19 is having on the hospitality industry and some steps hoteliers can take to get assistance with Aastha Shastri in a video interview.

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 10,000 hoteliers to date and feature more than 75 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 (-42.4%) was the relatively strongest chain scale for branded hotels; Luxury was the weakest at -92.8%. Upscale (-81.4%) underperformed the industry average; Upper Midscale (-76.5%) outperformed. Two straight weeks where RevPAR is moving in a less-negative direction: If we could only say that we have reached the bottom of this lodging cycle, we would. But we cannot and last week's STR data provides plenty of justification: 1) Easter calendar shift, and 2) There may still be more hotels closing than reopening.”

 

Ecolab, the global industry leader in hotel cleaning and sanitization, offers preferred pricing to AAHOA Members. Save on laundry, housekeeping, kitchen, pool and spa chemical programs, and more! For more information, please contact Michael Pfister or call 952-852-0926 today!

At Curve Hospitality, we combine creative design solutions with our ability to manufacture and deliver contract furnishings. Our experienced hospitality interior design team works closely with clients to turn their vision into a marketable commercial product. As a leading manufacturer of contract furnishings, our buying power and expertise translate into competitive pricing to our interior design hotel customers. Visit our website today!

The members of AHIA specialize in hospitality industry legal issues and have a minimum of five years' experience for in-house counsel and 10 years' experience for outside counsel. All AHIA members are committed to promoting professionalism, continuing education, and improved communication, which creates a network of competent experienced attorneys committed to improving legal services throughout the hospitality industry. Access their nationwide directory to find a hospitality industry lawyer near you.

In recent years, hospitality has taken a hands-on, face-to-face approach to greeting guests and solving guest issues. In the wake of COVID-19, how does an industry so focused on human interaction react? Well, human interaction will aways be necessary, but you may not see a smiling face, rather a masked one instead. Gloves, masks, sanitization, and limited food options are the post-coronavirus future.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has put a halt to operations across all industries, hoteliers are getting innovative with their time and making the best of the situation. Some are using the time to revamp employee handbooks, getting back on track with deffered maintenance, and reassessing ADA accessibility of their properties. We may be looking at a new normal when people begin to travel again, but it appears that hoteliers will be prepared better than ever.

To say the hotel industry is resilient is an understatement. We have weathered storm after storm. There are plenty of reasons why the industry will rebound, but the top reasons go beyond the expected demand for travel. Hoteliers are using this time to improve their properties, technology, and learn from their past mistakes.