AAHOA Members, you have only one day left to register for AAHOACON20 and be automatically entered to win one of six great prizes. One grand prize winner will receive four FREE nights of hotel accommodations at one of AAHOA’s host hotels in Dallas during the 2021 Convention. Five runners-up will be able to earn their Certificate in Hotel Ownership^TM (CHO) for FREE (up to a $249 value). But you only have until 11:59 p.m. Friday, August 7!* You do not want to miss out on this opportunity, so don’t wait – REGISTER NOW!

AAHOA Members, the AAHOA 2020 elections are August 11 and eligible voters will cast their votes using their smartphones. To see if you're eligible to vote, check your MyAAHOA profile. To vote, download the Voatz app today. Before election day, you'll need to take a few minutes to follow the on-screen instructions within the app to confirm your identity. Check out this video to see how it works and start setting up your device. Make sure your MyAAHOA profile includes a unique email address and phone number to ensure you get important ballot alerts. For eligibility support, email us at info@aahoa.com; for voting support, visit https://aahoa.voatz.com.

Philanthropy was the big winner last weekend as the 2020 AAHOA Charlotte Charity Golf Tournament teed off at the Golf Club at Ballantyne. Regional Director Akshat Patel and local host Jay Trini Patel hosted the tournament, which was AAHOA's first in-person event in several months. AAHOA Chairman Biran Patel, Vice Chair Vinay Patel, and President & CEO Cecil P. Staton all were on hand as AAHOA raised more than $67,000 to benefit 11 charities, including the USO of North Carolina and the Jamie Kimble Foundation for Courage. Check out our Instagram page for highlights.

AAHOA Chairman Biran Patel, Vice Chair Vinay Patel, Treasurer Nishant (Neal) Patel, and President & CEO Cecil P. Staton will be among the featured speakers Sept. 21-24 when the 26th annual Lodging Conference kicks off at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, AZ. The event brings together the hotel industry's most influential owners, operators, presidents, CEOs, and dealmakers to strategize about development, finance, franchising, management, construction, design, and operations. The gathering is not just a conference, it's a Think Tank where everybody in attendance has the opportunity to join in the conversation, discuss issues, and solve problems. This year's conference is expected to sell out as it has the past six years in a row, so register today!

AAHOA Chairman Biran Patel, Vice Chair Vinay Patel, Treasurer Nishant (Neal) Patel, and President & CEO Cecil P. Staton will be among the featured speakers Sept. 21-24 when the 26th annual Lodging Conference kicks off at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix, AZ. The event brings together the hotel industry's most influential owners, operators, presidents, CEOs, and dealmakers to strategize about development, finance, franchising, management, construction, design, and operations. The gathering is not just a conference, it's a Think Tank where everybody in attendance has the opportunity to join in the conversation, discuss issues, and solve problems. This year's conference is expected to sell out as it has the past six years in a row, so register today!

AAHOA continues to host virtual events around the country. The virtual event series is designed to help hotel owners remain connected with AAHOA Officers, board members, staff, and each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. Make plans to join us for this and other upcoming virtual events. You also can visit the virtual events archive to view past recordings in their entirety.

AAHOA continues to host virtual events around the country. The virtual event series is designed to help hotel owners remain connected with AAHOA Officers, board members, staff, and each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. Make plans to join us for this and other upcoming virtual events. You also can visit the virtual events archive to view past recordings in their entirety.

 AAHOA has partnered with P&G Professional, a worldwide leader and trusted name in professional-grade cleaning products, to create the AAHOA/P&G Professional’s Training in Hotel Sanitization and Cleanliness. This all-new, all-digital program covers what hoteliers need to know as it relates to the effective sanitization of their property, including infection prevention and control, high-touch points, sanitizing soft surfaces, communications, elevating the guest experience, and more! This program is completely FREE and is available not only to AAHOA Members but to the entire hospitality industry. Download our infographic to learn more and sign up for this valuable training today!

 AAHOA has partnered with P&G Professional, a worldwide leader and trusted name in professional-grade cleaning products, to create the AAHOA/P&G Professional’s Training in Hotel Sanitization and Cleanliness. This all-new, all-digital program covers what hoteliers need to know as it relates to the effective sanitization of their property, including infection prevention and control, high-touch points, sanitizing soft surfaces, communications, elevating the guest experience, and more! This program is completely FREE and is available not only to AAHOA Members but to the entire hospitality industry. Download our infographic to learn more and sign up for this valuable training today!

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 25,000 hoteliers to date and feature more than 140 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. 

 

Register Now for These Upcoming Webcasts: 

• Getting Back to Business: Success Strategies, Part 3 – Building and Revising Budgets in an Evolving Market, 3-3:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, August 6
• Getting Back to Business: Utilize Flatwork Ironers to Improve Safety and Cut Costs, 11-11:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, August 20
• Getting Back to Business: Maximizing CARES Act Benefits Continued, 3-3:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, August 20
• Getting Back to Business: Analyzing Labor Costs Amid COVID-19, 3-3:30 p.m. EDT Monday, August 24

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 25,000 hoteliers to date and feature more than 140 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. 

 

Register Now for These Upcoming Webcasts: 

• Getting Back to Business: Success Strategies, Part 3 – Building and Revising Budgets in an Evolving Market, 3-3:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, August 6
• Getting Back to Business: Utilize Flatwork Ironers to Improve Safety and Cut Costs, 11-11:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, August 20
• Getting Back to Business: Maximizing CARES Act Benefits Continued, 3-3:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, August 20
• Getting Back to Business: Analyzing Labor Costs Amid COVID-19, 3-3:30 p.m. EDT Monday, August 24

Truist Securities (formerly SunTrust Robinson Humphrey) reports, “Economy (-23.9%) was the relatively strongest chain scale for branded hotels; Luxury was the weakest at -74.5%. Upscale (-57.5%) underperformed the industry average; Upper Midscale (-44.8%) outperformed. Overall results were sequentially better for the week ending 8/1 vs. the prior week. There may have been some late week impact from Hurricane Isaias, but we were unable to determine a sizable loss of weekend occupancy in part as Miami/Orlando occupancies are already quite depressed. We may see some impact in next week's data set given the storm went up the Eastern Seaboard. Weekend leisure demand continues to be an area of relative strength for the U.S. lodging industry, with weekday occupancy in the mid-to-upper 40s and Friday/Saturday in the mid-to-upper 50s.”

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 a full spectrum of advanced facility management technology. With an integrated range of products and a vast global support network, we provide the power of real solutions and reliable support to maximize the efficiency of your operations today and into the future. Onity locks are simple to program and easy to use, providing dependable protection while keeping lock-related issues to a minimum. For more info, contact Mark Lewitt or visit www.onity.com 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.

Class-action lawsuits with claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) end up taking extra time and costing extra money, leading most defendants to accept a rushed - and often unfair - settlement. However, a new ruling by the federal court states hotels are owed due process rights to merit-based claims.

COVID-19 has hit every aspect of the hotel industry, including guests' needs for an overnight stay. Day trips will decline while guests will be looking for certain amenities to find work-life balance.

Moving a hotel's PMS to the cloud has been a hot topic, but hoteliers must realize cloud storage isn't the only option available. From cloud- to self-hosted systems and those in between, there are pros and cons to each option for a hotelier to weigh before deciding which way to go.