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DOZENS OF STRIKING hotel workers arrived in Washington on Sept. 23 to meet with Congress members, urging action against hotel resort fees. More than 4,000 workers are striking at Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott hotels in Honolulu, San Diego and San Francisco, vowing to continue until new contracts are secured. Many of the workers traveled from these strike-affected cities, according to UNITE HERE, the union representing hotel, casino and airport workers across the U.S. and Canada. The union is lobbying against legislation backed by hotel corporations that would limit states' ability to regulate resort fees. Hotel workers argue that resort fees, along with COVID-era service and staffing cuts, undermine the hospitality that guests expect. The workers' visit included a briefing for congressional staff, hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders. "We're here because guests and workers share a common goal - we want hotels to reverse COVID-era cuts, protect guests from resort fees, and refocus on providing the best possible hospitality," said Gwen Mills, UNITE HERE's president.

STRIKING HOTEL WORKERS in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island, recently ratified union contracts that include wage increases and healthcare. These contracts at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich and Omni Providence Hotel are the first in ongoing national disputes between the hotel workers' union UNITE HERE and Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Omni. The union celebrated the contract settlements but cautioned that ongoing strikes across the U.S. are expected to escalate before labor disputes are resolved. "These first contracts encourage hotel workers in other cities as strikes continue," said Gwen Mills, UNITE HERE's international president. "Hotel workers in Honolulu, San Diego, and San Francisco will strike as long as it takes to secure what they need, and more strikes are possible. We're in this for the long haul, and we urge travelers to prepare for potential widespread disruptions."

A BALLOT MEASURE in Los Angeles that would have required hotels in the city to house the homeless along with paying guests has been officially withdrawn from consideration. However, the Los Angeles City Council also passed an ordinance to replace the ballot measure that some local hoteliers also protest its passage. The ballot measure, sponsored by Unite Here Local 11 hospitality workers union, would have required hotels to house homeless voucher holders with regular guests, spurring protests by AAHOA, the American Hotel & Lodging Association and others. Last week, Unite Here agreed to withdraw that ballot measure, which was going to go before voters in March. Also last week, the council approved the Responsible Hotel Ordinance to replace the ballot measure and that would allow hotels to voluntarily make vacant rooms available for interim housing for the homeless. It also would require developers of new hotel properties to obtain a conditional use permit through a public review of the proposed development's impact on the existing housing supply and to replace any housing that would be demolished or otherwise lost in the neighborhood.

THOUSANDS OF WORKERS at Marriott International, Hilton Hotels & Resorts and Hyatt Hotels Corp. hotels in San Francisco returned to work after ratifying new contracts, according to UNITE HERE. The workers settled for affordable healthcare, significant raises and workload protections. About 1,500 Marriott employees returned on Saturday, while 1,000 Grand Hyatt workers unanimously ratified a tentative agreement, UNITE HERE said in a statement. Hilton workers ended their 93-day strike on Dec. 24, voting 99.4 percent for the new contract. San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie engaged with hotel owners and striking employees after his election, helping to secure union approval for the Marriott contracts.

MORE THAN SEVEN in 10 Americans would be deterred from booking a hotel room in Los Angeles if hotels there are forced to house homeless people next to paying guests, according to a recent poll by American Hotel & Lodging Association. The survey was released as the city of Los Angel considers a proposed ordinance that would require hotels to house homeless individuals alongside paying guests, a change opposed by AHLA and AAHOA. Los Angeles residents will vote in March 2024 on the ballot initiative proposed by Unite Here, a labor union representing L.A.-area hotel workers. The AHLA study highlighted the significant impact such a policy would have on tourism and hotel occupancy in the city. However, if Unite Here's ballot initiative passes, Los Angeles would be the first city in American history to require hotels to house homeless people alongside paying guests.

Approximately 10,000 U.S. hotel workers began a multi-day strike on Sunday in eight cities, including Boston, Honolulu, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle, after contract talks with Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels Corp. stalled. The workers, members of the UNITE HERE labor union, are demanding higher wages, fair staffing and the reversal of COVID-era cuts. The union said insufficient wages force many to work multiple jobs to cover living costs. "I have to work a second job because my hotel job isn't enough to support my kids as a single mom," said Mary Taboniar, a housekeeper at Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu for six years. "I'm living on the edge, unsure if I'll be able to pay our rent, groceries, or provide my family with health care. It's so stressful. One job should be enough."

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."

Diesel generators are heavy-duty units designed for longevity. While the durability of diesel generators makes them ideal for long-term usage, they require significant upkeep to keep working as intended. If you have recently purchased a diesel generator or are considering purchasing one, there are several things to keep in mind to ensure you get the best value out of your investment. Everybody knows machines need timely maintenance and servicing to last longer, but diesel generators require several other measures to keep running optimally. Let's take a look at why diesel generator disasters happen and how to avoid those issues. LAUNDRY LIST OF REASONS WHY DIESEL GENERATORS BREAK DOWN Call up any reputable generator manufacturer or repair services and ask the most common causes for diesel generators to break down, and they'll give you a laundry list. You can click here to know about these causes in detail, but here's a long and short of various reasons for your diesel generator to give up. PUSHING THE GENERATOR TO ITS LIMITS It is basic knowledge that be it humans or machines, if they are pumping full steam every day, they are bound to break down. While humans can take a vacation and recharge, machinery needs proper maintenance. Think of maintenance like a spa day for your diesel generator. If you're running your diesel generator 24 hours a day all the time, it requires servicing every fortnight or 20 days. Failure to do so can severely damage the components of your generator or even cause it to break down.

FRENCH HOTEL CHAIN B&B Hotels launched its U.S. expansion with the opening of its first property in Orlando, Florida. The 218-room hotel, located near Universal Studios, will be followed by additional hotels in Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. The mid-scale brand plans to establish 400 hotels across the U.S. within the next 10 years, representing $4 billion in real estate value, B&B Hotels said in a statement. "We are thrilled to bring B&B HOTELS to the United States and to offer travelers affordable high-quality accommodations," said Valerio Duchini, B&B Hotels' U.S. CEO. "We're also eager to engage with real estate investors here who share our vision for growth. Drawing from our success in Europe, we aim to establish ourselves as a prominent player in the U.S. market." B&B Hotels rebrands existing properties and constructs new ones, the company said. Batipart, a private equity firm based in Luxembourg, partnered with B&B Hotels for the Orlando property, with plans to renovate the hotel to improve the guest experience.

MAYA HOTELS RECENTLY celebrated the 25th anniversary of its first ground-up hotel, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Belmont in Belmont, North Carolina. The event marked the hotel's evolution from a 65-room establishment in 1999 to a modern 92-key hotel, while showcasing original site plans, franchise approval letters, snapshots from the 1999 grand opening and earned awards over the years. IHG Hotels & Resorts representative Jason Miller, local government officials, along with associates, community members, vendors and investors attended the event. "We came to the United States with nothing, but we knew one thing - this is the land of opportunity," said Baldev Thakor, Maya Hotels' cofounder. "We knew we wanted to build a Holiday Inn Express in this community and we knew there were many guests not being served," J.D. Deva, Maya Hotels cofounder, said. "Here we are, 25 years later, and it has been a remarkable journey."

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