On the first day of the 2023 Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) Convention & Trade Show, the association hosted a meeting for California Hoteliers in which they heard from a Los Angeles Deputy Mayor and several law enforcement leaders.
AAHOACON23 is taking place in Los Angeles, and AAHOA is offering a multitude of educational offerings to the more than 7,000 attendees of the annual Convention and Trade Show this week. The conference kicked off with the All-California Hotelier’s meeting, which focused on occupancy agreements with hotels, operations, budget, and targeted acquisitions.
AAHOA Members own 61.8% of hotels in California, representing more than 3,500 hotels, and more than 330,000 hotel rooms.
The annual economic impacts in California include:
● $23.9 billion in total hotel sales
● $16.9 billion in federal, state, and local taxes
● $1.9 billion in total lodging taxes
● $62.9 billion in contributions to the state gdp
● $1,282 in federal, state, and local taxes per household
This meeting had several informative speakers, including Jenna Hornstock, the Deputy Mayor of Housing for the City of Los Angeles. Hornstock discussed the homelessness crisis and the steps that the City’s new Mayor, Karen Bass, is taking to alleviate it.
“In response to the crisis, AAHOA partnered with Covenant House California (CHC) at this year’s AAHOACON to help raise money and awareness for the nonprofit youth shelter that provides sanctuary and support for youth experiencing homelessness or survivors of human trafficking, ages 18-24,” said outgoing Chairman Nishant (Neal) Patel. “Attendees could buy AAHOACON custom-designed socks and t-shirts on the Trade Show floor at the AAHOA Cares booth, and all net proceeds go directly to Covenant House California.”
Exhibitors also donated products and members will be assembling "essentials kits" for those in need, such as shampoo, soap, socks, deodorant and mouthwash.
Captain Elaine Morales and her team with the Los Angeles Police Department spoke about security and safety for guests and shared best practices. They also discussed stopping some of the criminal “gypsy” bands that are targeting hotels and how best to protect owners and guests.
“The safety and security of hotel guests is always the number-one concern,” said incoming AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel. “Having experts like Captain Morales provide our members with firsthand information about what’s being done to protect our customers is beneficial to hoteliers and guests alike.”
The meeting wrapped up with Lynn Mohrfeld, President & CEO of the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA), who discussed the importance of protecting the rights and interests of owners and operators, and serving the unique interests of each segment of California's diverse lodging industry.
Attendees also received important updates on Americans With Disabilities Act nuisance litigation claims impacting a significant number of California hotels, as well as a fee transparency rule targeted at home rental apps that also may cover hotels.
“With AAHOACON23 being held in Los Angeles this year, it was a perfect opportunity for California hoteliers to gather and attend this important meeting that will help them better run their businesses,” said President and CEO Laura Lee Blake. “Whatever issues arise in the hotel industry, AAHOA will continue to lead the way when it comes to educating our membership on those issues, as well as advocating for their interests.”