AAHOA is excited to announce that two-time Super Bowl champion Ray Lewis and bestselling author and podcaster Jay Shetty will be the keynote speakers at AAHOACON22. Lewis, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Baltimore Ravens, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Shetty is the host of the podcast "On Purpose." His guests have included Alicia Keys and Kobe Bryant, resulting in 64 million downloads. He has appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "Today" to discuss mental health and life purpose.

Two important deadlines are coming up soon!

The active participation of our talented, dynamic membership is vital to AAHOA’s success. If you want to make a difference for AAHOA Members, we encourage you to apply to serve on an AAHOA committee. The eight AAHOA committees – Bylaws and Governance, Finance and Audit, Education and Professional Development, Independent Hoteliers, Franchise and Industry Relations, Government Affairs, Convention, and Strategic Planning – all serve vital functions in advancing AAHOA forward toward its strategic goals.

Did you know? If you own a property in California and operate a restaurant, one-use items are not subject to sales tax. This includes paper plates, toothpicks, disposable to-go containers, straws, plastic utensils, paper napkins, and similar items that are furnished with foods and beverages. Book a meeting to discover other areas where you may be overpaying sales tax.

Once the 2022 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show is in the books, we will plunge full speed ahead into our 2022 Charity Golf Tournaments and Regional Conference & Trade Show schedules. Our Charity Golf Tournaments serve as an important component of advancing our mission through community engagement. Our Regional Conferences & Trade Shows are the best way for you to network and connect with local hoteliers, industry professionals, and vendors from the hospitality industry, and we have an exciting new lineup for 2022! Save the dates and join us at one or more of these events!

AAHOA will soon be releasing its full 2022 events schedule. In the meantime, check the lineup below for an event in your area. (All times are local.)

We've added three new webcasts to our lineup! The first, scheduled for 1 p.m. EST Thursday, March 17, takes a look at the O’Connor Approach, which is changing the way hotels are being taxed. Join us as O’Connor & Associates’ Andrew Choy, Director of National Hotel Tax, and Abraham Tiehl, Director of National Commercial Property give insight into the new revolutionary approach that is proving to reduce hotel property taxes more than ever before. Register now.

 

• Leyton’s Ladies: Personal and Professional Journeys of Success, 11-11:30 a.m. EST Wednesday, March 23
• Tourism Improvement Districts: A Stable Funding Source for Hotel Driven and Managed Destination Marketing, 11-11:30 a.m. EST Wednesday, March 30

Truist Securities reports, “Last week’s RevPAR was up against a -37.9% comparable result in 2021 vs. -44.5% in the prior week. On a 3-year run-rate (vs. 2019), RevPAR was -3.8% vs. +7.7% in the prior week’s 3-year run-rate. Excluding the lowest-rated hotel chain scales (Economy/Midscale), occupancy was slightly softer on an absolute basis vs. the prior week. Given the prior week included President's Day, we await a few more weeks of data to see the degree of war/gas price impact. Upscale RevPAR: +74.3% y/y and -13.1% over 3 years; Upper Midscale RevPAR: +55.3% y/y and -1.0% over 3 years.” 

 

Independent public adjusters are invaluable members of your insurance claim settlement team for help in dealing with commercial or residential catastrophic loss. Negotiating a claim after a devastating event such as a fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane, or any natural disaster is a monumental task. The insurance company will use their team to attempt to minimize your loss. That’s where we come in. WorldClaim Global Claims Management is a 33-year-old international firm of public insurance adjusters advocating on behalf of commercial, institutional and individual policyholders. We provide the highest level of claims management services to clients around the globe. For more information, visit our website, then contact Russell Heath today.

With the best technology in the industry, DISH Business delivers a premium entertainment experience for properties of all sizes. EVOLVE by DISH lets your guests cast personal content, watch live TV and access the apps they love – all on your in-room TV. Get DISH to give your guests the entertainment they want at prices you’ll love. Visit the website, then contact Tyler Floyd to start saving 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.

After two years of setbacks and uncertainty, hoteliers the world over are looking to predictive data as they seek to get back on track.

With many employers continuing to offer work-from-home options, savvy hoteliers are marketing themselves as workplace alternatives for travelers looking to blend work with vacation time. 

With workers continuing to remain in short supply and international travelers slow to return, the USTA is stepping up efforts to press the Biden adminstration and Congress for help in expanding the H-2B visa program, providing additional tax credits to stimulate travel spending, and more.