Time is running out! Hotel owners and operators have only until Dec. 31, 2020, to comply with a new Florida law requiring all employees to be certified in human trafficking awareness. To help our members meet this looming deadline, AAHOA is hosting an in-person awareness training series on December 14-18 that will include 10 locations in five days and will feature Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) Inhospitable to Human Trafficking Training Sponsored by AAHOA. The Florida Division of Hotels & Restaurants recently certified that the BEST training meets the requirements set forth in section 509.096 of the Florida State Statute. The new law mandates that hotel owners and operators provide training for employees within 60 days after they begin employment in a housekeeping or reception area role or by Jan. 1, 2021, whichever occurs later. Businesses that do not comply face a fine of up to $2,000 a day. If you are unable to attend the in-person training, you can take our on-demand online training at any time. Register now to help save lives and protect your business.

AAHOA's 2021-2023 Strategic Plan launches in January and the Board of Directors will play an important role in helping AAHOA achieve its stated goals. To learn more about the strategic plan and what service on a national nonprofit board requires, please join AAHOA President & CEO Cecil P. Staton for a Board Service Interest Meeting 2-3 p.m. EST Tuesday, December 15. (Zoom meeting: 646-558-8656; ID: 974 0439 3085; Passcode: 066333). We are looking for motivated members who are ready and willing to help AAHOA achieve its goals, thereby helping hotel owners all across the nation. Answer the call and volunteer to serve. The nomination period runs December 16 through March 8, and open positions and eligibility requirements are available here. Save to your calendar today.

 

AAHOA Past Chair Jagruti Panwala, President & CEO of Wealth Protection Strategies, has been named to the Board of Directors of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) "It is an honor to continue serving the hospitality industry as a member of AHLA's Board of Directors," Panwala said. "I look forward to working with the great team at AHLA and my fellow AHLA Board members to unite the industry and promote America's hotels as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic." The AHLA Board of Directors represents leaders from all sectors of the lodging industry, including brands, owners and real estate investment trusts (REITs), management companies, independent hotels, and state associations. AAHOA congratulates Panwala on her recent appointment and her long-standing commitment to serving the hospitality industry.

 

AAHOA has officially wrapped up our inaugural virtual 2020 Regionals Series and it was a resounding success! Because of the unwavering support of our exhibitors and sponsors, AAHOA was able to deliver sound, usable, and region-specific advice and information from industry leaders and experts to thousands of attendees to help them survive and recover even as the COVID-19 pandemic surges across the nation. Attendees also had access to top-notch education and AAHOA updates, as well as the opportunity to connect with Regional Directors, hear from Young Professional and Female leadership, and take advantage of networking opportunities and trade shows to form new relationships and strengthen existing ones. If you weren't able to attend as many as you would've liked, never fear, we have you covered. On-demand videos will be coming your way via Quarterly Reports later this month, so stay tuned.

 

Is pain keeping you from doing the things you need or want to do? And did you know that stress, like that created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, actually can make that pain worse? To help you manage both, AAHOA has teamed up with Kaia Health to offer those working in the hospitality sector complimentary, 90-day access to Kaia’s evidence-based back, neck, and shoulder solution at absolutely NO COST. Kaia's pain-relief program will gently guide you through personalized exercises designed for both your body and mind. And the Kaia Pain Relief app works anytime and anywhere, no gym or special equipment required! All you need is a smartphone or tablet. What are you waiting for? Get started now.

 

 

AAHOA is hosting upcoming virtual events to share the latest updates for America’s hotel owners in various parts of the United States. Add these events to your calendar now. 

In a recent Morning Consult survey, a whopping 72 percent of respondents said concerns about cleanliness and sanitization affect their decision on whether to stay in a hotel. AAHOA has partnered with P&G Professional to create the AAHOA/P&G Professional’s Training in Hotel Sanitization and Cleanliness. This all-digital program covers what hoteliers need to know as it relates to the effective sanitization of your property. This program is completely FREE and is available to the entire hospitality industry. Download our infographic to learn more and sign up for this valuable training today!

AAHOA is bringing you a series of COVID-19-related webcasts that will keep you informed and help determine next steps for your business. We have educated nearly 35,000 hoteliers to date and feature more than 200 webcasts separated by category in our library. AAHOA is making these webcasts available to the industry, so share with those in your network, whether they're an AAHOA Member or not. 

• Getting Back to Business: Now May Be the Time to Upgrade Your Management Company, 1-1:30 p.m. EST Friday, December 11
• Getting Back to Business: Labor – How Your Largest Operating Expense Can Produce Your Biggest Profits, 1-1:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, December 15
• Getting Back to Business: I Want to Win the Ball Game: The Owner/GM as the Hotel’s Chief Information Officer, 3-3:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, December 15

Truist Securities (formerly SunTrust Robinson Humphrey) reports, “Economy (-12.7%) was the relatively strongest chain scale for branded hotels; Luxury was the weakest at -80.1%. Upscale (-62.4%) underperformed the industry average; Upper Midscale (-46.0%) outperformed. Last week was a clean comp and the worst RevPAR result at the national level since June. Normally, early December post-Thanksgiving is a challenging period for corporate-focused hotels with demand more limited in part due to weather. This year, the STR data would suggest the normal "smattering" of low demand was even more evident in the y/y comp. A mix shift away from the normal early December base of higher-rated corporate travel hurt y/y ADR percent change even more than occupancy. However, some end-of-Thanksgiving-week relative strength might have been apparent in Interstate and Suburban hotels (primarily Economy and Midscale and some Independents) as people traveled back from holiday destinations and/or stayed an extra night or two.”

AAHOA Members get discounts on employer-sponsored medical, dental, vision, disability, and other benefit plans. We also offer a FREE Pharmacy Discount Card program that offers savings of up to 75 percent on all FDA-approved prescriptions. For more info, contact Susana Cintron today!

Travel Media Group is a hospitality marketing partner that provides solutions that give AAHOA Members a competitive edge through marketing and business insights. Services include social media, review responses, reputation management, responsive websites, online and print advertising, and more. Travel Media Group offers smarter hotel marketing to help hotels increase revenue. Visit the website, then contact Dana Singer and ask about our all-in-one guest-engagement platform built for hotels!

AAHOA Members can receive monthly reports that track and compare the valuation levels, trading levels, and credit profile of each of the U.S. publicly traded Hotel C-Corps and Hotel Real Estate Investment Trusts. It includes pro forma adjustments for any announced acquisitions, dispositions, financings, and other corporate actions. All data is based on publicly available information, including equity research analyst estimates. Contact Jonathan Falik for more info.

People and business will travel again, but the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a serious toll on hoteliers. As we look toward recovery, it is being suggested that it would be beneficial for investors to take advantage of how dislocated capital markets have been, leaving an exciting financial outlook for the future of the industry.

A COVID-19 vaccine has been the first step to recovery from this pandemic, but it's important to remember it's only the first step and many more will need to be taken. Recovery won't be immediate. It will take time – and a few more ups and downs – for us to get there. 

Home-share services like Airbnb dealt a huge blow to hotels across the U.S. – and the world. As the hospitality industry battles COVID-19, Airbnb's IPO could be another huge hit to the industry. However, there are some ways to take this challenge and turn it into an opportunity to be competitive in the market.

*Disclosure: AAHOA receives compensation from Chase.