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THE AMERICAN HOTEL and Lodging Association is collaborating with information services and event company Questex to produce "The Hospitality Show." It will have sessions from expert speakers, an exhibit hall, personalized business matchmaking as well as a host of other networking opportunities, according to AHLA. AHLA will hold the show from June 27 to 29, 2023, at The Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas. All industry stakeholders are expected to attend the three-day event. "As the single entity representing the entire hotel industry, we at AHLA recognize the need to annually bring together our most important voices and respected leaders," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "The Hospitality Show will be a completely new hospitality event experience - a one-stop-shop for the hospitality industry to meet, learn and do business with stakeholders from other businesses that are key to our operations. We intend to make THE SHOW the most important hotel event of the year and are excited to partner with Questex to make this happen."

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association and the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals Association announced a 10-year agreement to jointly produce the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry, a statement said. The USALI is the global "standard" for hospitality accounting and HFTP purchased rights to its contents in 2018. AHLA and HFTP have reengaged the joint Global Finance Committee that is responsible for creating content for USALI's 12th edition to be released next year, according to AHLA. For many years, AHLA's Financial Management Committee was responsible for creating content for the USALI. HFTP purchased USALI's intellectual property, publishing and distribution rights from the Hotel Association of New York City. "After our decision to publish on our own, many in the industry contacted both HFTP and AHLA to see if we could find a way to work together," said Frank Wolfe, HFTP's CEO. "Both organizations had the willingness to work together, but like any business deal the decision was in the details. Associations are a bit different animal than corporate enterprises. Today we may work together on one project and tomorrow will be dead on competitors so there were lots of details to refine. The good news is that both organizations worked exceptionally hard to put those competitive differences aside and advance the industry."

A STABLE ECONOMIC backdrop is expected to fuel a 10.7 percent year-over-year increase in the U.S. short-term rental industry in 2024, surpassing the 6.7 percent rise seen in 2023, according to AirDNA's 2024 outlook report. Moreover, AirDNA foresees balanced growth for the industry in 2024, marked by a projected 10.9 percent increase in supply expansion guided by rising demand for more sustainable market practices. "Approaching 2024, the industry anticipates balanced growth with a projected 10.9 percent increase in supply expansion," said Jamie Lane, senior vice president of Analytics at AirDNA. "Contrary to exaggerated reports of an STR 'collapse,' heightened market competition emphasizes the need for hosts and property managers to meticulously monitor data trends. This strategic approach is crucial for surpassing competitors and sustaining revenue, taking advantage of a strong economy and the growing preference of travelers for STR lodging."

THE STATE OF the U.S. hotel industry is strong going into 2024, according to American Hotel & Lodging Association's 2024 State of the Hotel Industry report. Average hotel occupancy is expected to reach nearly 63.6 percent in 2024, a slight increase from the 62.9 percent in 2023 but below the 65.8 percent rate recorded in 2019. Nominal RevPAR is also anticipated to rise to $101.82 in 2024, up by 4 percent from 2023 and over 17 percent from 2019. AHLA projects hotels will pay employees a record sum of over $123 billion in wages, salaries, and compensation in 2024, surpassing $118 billion in 2023 and $102 billion in 2019. Hotels are expected to add approximately 45,000 employees this year, while the industry's workforce remains nearly 225,000 below the almost 2.37 million employed in 2019, the AHLA report said. The report, projecting persistent challenges for hoteliers in the face of nationwide labor shortages as they approach 2019 occupancy levels, draws on data and analysis from Oxford Economics. It was developed in collaboration with AHLA Premier Partners: STR, Avendra, Ecolab, Encore, JLL, Oracle, and Towne Park.

THE U.S. SENATE and House passed a $1.5 trillion government-funding package last week that includes some much-needed relief for the hospitality industry, two associations said. However, the spending bill also missing some elements industry advocates have pressed Congress and the administration to pass. The omnibus spending bill passed on a 68-31 vote in the Senate and is now awaiting President Biden's signature, according to government focused news agency RollCall. com. At 2,700-pages, the omnibus contains all 12 fiscal 2022 spending bills and has been in negotiations for five months. The bill includes the Restoring Brand USA Act that will provide $250 million in relief funding to the destination marketing organization that promotes travel to the U.S. The U.S. Travel Association welcomed that fact in a statement from Roger Dow, USTA president and CEO.

IT'S TIME FOR AAHOA'S 2022 Convention and Trade Show in Baltimore, Maryland. More than 5,200 members are expected attend the show Tuesday to Friday at the Baltimore Conference Center This year's AAHOACON22 marks a return to the conference's regular April schedule after last year's conference was held in August. More than 450 companies will be exhibiting at the show, which will feature 10 education sessions and three networking events. "AAHOA's staff and convention committee have been working around the clock to make this year the best one yet. Whether for education, inspiration, deal-making, networking, or simply having fun, we have an incredible lineup for this year's event," said Vinay Patel, AAHOA's current chairman. "To everyone who has already registered to attend and are headed to Baltimore, it means so much to us that you've made the necessary sacrifices to be here. We hope you find AAHOACON22 to be immeasurably enriching and rewarding, and a valuable experience. We can't wait to see our old friends, make new ones, and celebrate the hard work we've all put in over the past few months."

HOTEL EMPLOYEES NOW have their own day, Sept. 1, thanks to the American Hotel & Lodging Association. AHLA had the date included in the National Day Calendar as part of its effort to increase recruitment of new hospitality workers. National Hotel Employee Day will be celebrated annually to thank hotel employees for their hard work and dedication and recognize the role they play in the nation's travel, tourism and hotel industries, according to AHLA. AHLA's launching of the day is in response to the struggle U.S. hotels are facing to quickly fill more than 120,000 open hotel jobs by offering current and prospective employees higher wages, with better benefits, and more flexibility. "On this inaugural National Hotel Employee Day, we thank America's nearly two million hotel employees. Every day in communities across the nation, hotel employees' service and dedication help facilitate some of Americans' most important life events - from wedding receptions to family reunions and vacations," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "Now is the time to consider one of the more than 200 enriching careers in the hotel industry."

ATLANTA-BASED EV Hotels, a new technology-centric hotel brand founded by Ken Patel, has partnered with Spanish firm CLERHP to construct a luxury resort in the new Larimar City & Resort project in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic. The 400-room hotel will be built on an area of nearly eight acres, the company said in a statement. Larimar City & Resort will be on the Promenade on the Farrallón de Verón, which has a view of Punta Cana, said Leonardo Padron Hermes, CEO of Blacklions International Group, a company associated with CLERHP in the development of real estate projects in the Dominican Republic. The area includes restaurants, clubs, shops and an 18-hole golf course. "After many years of working behind the scenes to develop a hotel brand that both innovates and revolutionized the industry, it is truly rewarding to now see EV make an impact across the globe. And believe me, we are just getting started," Patel said. "Larimar City & Resort will be one of the best tourist attractions around the globe and our team at EV is excited to be part of this Smart-City. Growth doesn't come with a single action. It is the consequence of persistence, courage, and hard work. What we are accomplishing here is to create an experience that brings hospitality back and gives it life again. Innovation is a team sport."

AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE continues to permeate society on every level, there is a place for it in the hotel industry, AAHOA said. AI technology can improve operational efficiency and cut costs, the association said, but it must be developed and used ethically. AAHOA referenced two recent research studies, one conducted by the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston, and another by Morgan Stanley, to endorse the integration of artificial intelligence into hotels for enhanced guests' experience. The University of Houston's study explored AI's transformative impact on the industry and its acceptance among hotel guests. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley's research report released on August 18, titled "AI for Hotels: Will the Hotel of the Future Fit in the Palm of Your Hand?" documented the benefits of hoteliers, online travel agencies and hotel brands adopting AI technology early.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association formed a new partnership with the AHLA Foundation, and the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education to grow the future workforce of the hotel and hospitality industry. As part of the collaboration, which came into effect on June 13, ICHRIE will distribute AHLA Foundation materials and facilitate access to its membership and communication channels. Besides, they will explore future opportunities to engage hospitality management faculty and students, an AHLA statement said. AHLA will also recruit a larger workforce and promote hospitality career opportunities. "We are thrilled to partner with ICHRIE and its outstanding deans, directors, program leaders and members of the major hospitality universities and schools, and work together on our shared mission to strengthen the hotel industry's talent pipeline," said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. "As the global leader in hospitality and tourism education and research, ICHRIE will help maximize our reach to students and educators across the nation. Together, AHLA, the AHLA Foundation, and ICHRIE will ensure that all Americans preparing to the enter the workforce are aware of the multitude of great hospitality career opportunities available to them." AHLA's chief operating officer will serve on ICHRIE's new Industry Council to help facilitate relationships, and both AHLA and the AHLA Foundation will participate in ICHRIE's 75th Anniversary Conference this August in Washington, D.C.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE direct lender and Peachtree Group affiliate, Stonehill, completed $1.2 billion in investments in 2022. Most were through loan originations and commercial property assessed clean energy financing primarily in the hospitality and retail sectors, a statement said. The investment includes $813 million in loans and $163 million as CPACE financing and the remaining $269 million was distributed across the industrial, land, mixed-use, multifamily, office and senior living real estate sectors, the company said. Stonehill said that its 2023 target is $1.5 billion and expects to invest $300 million in the first quarter. "Economic volatility coupled with uncertainty surrounding interest rates has severely decreased overall financing availability with capital providers. However, Stonehill not requiring capital markets execution has allowed it to remain active and to fill the gap in lending supply," said Mat Crosswy, Stonehill president and principal. In May 2022, Stonehill formed Stonehill CRE with Daniel Siegel as president to expand its commercial lending business. It focuses on heavy transitional assets and sectors of the credit market that are traditionally undersupplied. "We have spent years working on our capital formation, specifically so that we can be active and grab market share during periods of economic uncertainty. Also, by building our CPACE division in 2019, which completed $235 million in CPACE financing for the year, and now with Stonehill CRE, we are better positioned to provide lending solutions to a multitude of the market's current inefficiencies," said Crosswy.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE lender Stonehill is ranked as the 10th largest U.S. commercial real estate hotel lender by origination volume based on the 2021 Mortgage Bankers Association loan origination rankings. The ranking comes after the company originated $822 million in loans across 30 transactions in 2021 with an average transaction size of $27.4 million. Stonehill is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Peachtree Hotel Group, led by Jatin Desai and Mitul Patel, who are principals of Stonehill and Stonehill PACE, as well as members of the Stonehill's investment committee. MBA's annual originations rankings report is a comprehensive set of listings of 149 commercial/multifamily mortgage originators, their 2021 volumes, and their different roles. "We are honored to be ranked in the MBA's leading industry list," said Mat Crosswy, Stonehill's president and managing principal. "Our top-ten position is a testament to our commitment to understanding our sponsors' business plans and accomplishing the transactions on their financial deadlines. We have a terrific opportunity to grow further as the hospitality industry is in a sustained recovery cycle. Hotel owners are looking for thoughtful options with capital partners that understand the industry's nuances, particularly considering the impact of the pandemic on hotel operators."

STR HAS UNVEILED the forward-looking component of its product "Forward STAR" in 104 new markets/submarkets across the U.S. and Canada. Forward STAR, which is presently live in 450 areas around the globe, allows hotel property and portfolio users to benchmark the next 365 days of occupancy on the books against the competition and market. "This launch represents our largest Forward STAR expansion to date and adds significant value to our overall benchmarking offering," said Amanda Hite, STR's president. "Adding to the historical data that drives so many operational decisions around the industry, this directly sourced forward data provides intel into where hotels can gain available business, adjust their approach to pricing, and implement actions around market events. When combining historical metrics, profitability data and these forward bookings insights, industry stakeholders are positioned to analyze performance from every angle." According to the statement, Forward STAR was launched in 17 of the country's 25 largest hotel markets, including Las Vegas, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Boston and Phoenix. More granular submarkets were added with the addition of central business districts in markets such as Austin, Chicago, Nashville and New Orleans as well as airport submarkets in areas such as Miami, San Francisco and Bradenton, Florida.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association has announced the dates, cities, and registration information for its "On the Road" State Hotel Conferences for 17 states in 2023. The conferences will provide hoteliers, suppliers, and service providers opportunities to connect with their peers as well as hospitality and policy leaders to learn about the latest news and information affecting the hotel and lodging industry, AHLA said in a statement. Anyone who works in the hotel industry can attend these half-day, free events, it added. "AHLA's 'On The Road' State Hotel Conferences are designed to help local hoteliers connect with their peers, gain insights on national and local market business performance trends and learn from top hospitality leaders, service providers and policy experts," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "The events are also a vital tool to help AHLA build coalitions, grow our grassroots network and rally hoteliers around the industry's goals and initiatives. We are excited to bring AHLA's successful On The Road State Hotel Conference series to a record number of cities in 2023." AHLA will host these conferences in partnership with its state or city lodging association partners. Since starting with four events in 2021, AHLA's On The Road State Hotel Conferences have brought together thousands of hoteliers in cities across the nation. Last year, 11 events were held.

USING TECHNOLOGY TO enhance the attendee experience remains a key trend for meeting and event planners as they expect meetings volumes to rise, according to a survey. The tech trend is closely followed by a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion and a more casual meeting atmosphere. The 2023 State of the Meetings Industry survey by group hospitality analytics firm Knowland and full-service global meetings solution company, ConferenceDirect, also revealed that staff shortages and inquiry backlogs are impacting service standards as rising costs redefine goals. The survey also pointed out that rising costs may cause planners to change their approach, including looking at new destinations. However, cost leveling, return of business travel, and budget increases will support the industry recovery. According to the survey, more than 70 percent of 2022 events had attendance at, or above, 80 percent of 2019 levels. As many as 75 percent of event planners did not expect the number of events and meetings to drop.

LINA PATEL IS Red Roof's new director for strategic franchise initiatives. In the new role, Patel will direct the growth of Red Roof among diverse and underrepresented corporate and franchise communities. Patel has been a hotel owner for 23 years, according to the statement. Prior to joining Red Roof, she was the member of one of the industry's largest franchise advisory committees. In 2007, Patel joined the board of LPS of USA, a non-profit religious, cultural, and non-political organization providing support to American immigrants from India's Leuva Patidar region. She will report to Matthew Hostetler, Red Roof's chief development officer, the company said in a statement. "Lina is one of the strongest advocates for growth and diversity in our industry, and we are delighted to have her join our team as director of strategic initiatives," said George Limbert, president of Red Roof. "She brings a unique and multi-faceted background as a franchise owner, industry executive and AAHOA board member to her new role," Limbert added. Patel, who joined the board of AAHOA in 2017, played a role in launching the organization's HerOwnership program in 2022 - to help further foster, promote, and empower women entrepreneurs in hospitality sector. "With six years on the board of AAHOA, Lina has a deep understanding of the challenges everyday hotel owners face, as well as their paths to success, which she has demonstrated by example in her own career," Hostetler said. Hostetler said 35 percent of Red Roof's franchise system is represented by women.

APPROXIMATELY 51 PERCENT of hospitality industry professionals participating in STR's Hospitality Industry Sentiment survey expressed optimism about their business confidence over the next two years. Respondents rated their confidence at "8" or higher on a 10-point scale. Analyzing the results over the survey's first year reveals a gradual, consistent decline in confidence ratings for each time span. Meanwhile, global recession fears have diminished since the last survey, STR said. Among various industry challenges, "concerns regarding a potential recession" saw the most significant drop between the last two surveys, ranking third behind labor costs and supply issues. Energy and utility costs are slightly increasing, while supply chain challenges and group demand issues are gradually diminishing. Regarding hotel performance, outlined trends influence demand forecasting expectations, the survey said. The percentage of respondents anticipating "strong improvement" or "some improvement" is gradually declining across all three hotel demand segments. A majority of experts still foresee growth in both business transient and group demand.

THE AHLA FOUNDATION recently expanded its travel scholarship program with historically Black colleges and universities supported by a 2023 grant from the Nareit Foundation's Dividends Through Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Giving Campaign. The foundation also announced its 2024 officers and board of trustees, further diversifying the board's representation of industry segments, AHLA Foundation said in a statement. "HBCUs are an incredible, yet underestimated, resource for talent" said AHLA Foundation President Anna Blue. "Travel scholarships are an important tool for fostering inclusion at the earliest stages and help to increase exposure to the different parts of industry, including hotel and lodging REITs." The $85,000 grant from the Nareit Foundation, Nareit's philanthropic arm, will facilitate HBCU students' attendance at REIT- and investment-focused events, including the Hunter: Hotel Investment Conference in March and the NYU International Hospitality Industry Conference in June, the statement said.

Mit Shah today is CEO of Atlanta-based Noble Investment Group, a multi-million dollar company founded in his lifetime of experience growing up in the hotel business. It's a story he shares with many Indian American hoteliers, but he said it's a story that bears repeating, a story of the American dream. Shah retells his story here for Asian Hospitality's Leadership Series, the first episode for 2024. Along with his family history, he also discussed Nobel's investment practices, the economy in general and lessons learned from hosting interviews with industry leaders for the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series, named after his father, at the Hunter Hotel Conference in Atlanta. "My parents were immigrants to the United States. In the 1960s they came here for a better life and education. As they were doing that, they had friends that found themselves in this industry and buying small properties throughout the country," Shah said, adding that his parents bought their first hotel, the Winkler Motor Inn in Winston Salem, North Carolina in 1979. "I was 10 years old at the time, my younger brother was six years old at the time and that was the family business, a very common story that we hear throughout our industry. It's an important story to continue to tell because it's deeply rooted in the American dream."

THE AHLA FOUNDATION recently held its 6th Annual Night of a Thousand Stars awards gala, recognizing leaders in the hotel industry and presenting Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt Hotels Corp. president and CEO with the third annual Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award. The event also raised close to $1 million to support AHLA Foundation initiatives. Lina Patel, director of strategic franchise initiatives at Red Roof, also was recognized at the event held during the 2024 America's Lodging Investment Summit at the J.W. Marriott in Los Angeles. Shatterproof, a national nonprofit that promotes addiction treatment, also recognized Hoplamazian during ALIS. "The Night of a Thousand Stars Gala brings our entire industry together to celebrate the work and dedication of the unsung heroes of hospitality-the individuals at the heart of our industry," said Anna Blue, AHLA Foundation president.