Asian American Hotel Owners Association
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) is a trade association that represents hotel owners. As of 2022, AAHOA has approximately 20,000 members who own about 60% of the hotels in the United States.[1] AAHOA provides service and support for hoteliers through its educational offerings, policy and political advocacy for the interests of hotel owners, opportunities for professional development, and community engagement.[2]
 | |
| Abbreviation | AAHOA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1989 |
| Legal status | Trade association |
| Purpose | Hospitality industry resource |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, GA, U.S. |
| Location |
|
| Coordinates | 33.9341409°N 84.35231629999998°W |
Membership | 20,000 |
President & CEO | Laura Lee Blake, Esq. |
Chairman | Bharat Patel (2023-2024) |
| Website | AAHOA |
Indian Americans in the hotel and motel industry early on faced discrimination, both from the insurance industry and from competitors placing "American owned" signs outside their properties to take business from them.[3] In 1985, a group was formed in Tennessee, the Mid-south Indemnity Association, which then grew nationwide and changed its name to the Indo American Hospitality Association.[4] Another group of Indian hoteliers was created in Atlanta in 1989 to address discrimination issues and increase awareness of Asian Americans working in the hospitality industry under the name Asian American Hotel Owners Association.[4] In 1994, the organizations merged in order to work more efficiently to defend Asian hotel owners’ interests throughout the United States.[4]
The association's current President & CEO, appointed in May 2022, is Laura Lee Blake. A highly accomplished attorney with more than 25 years of experience, Blake most recently served as a partner at Connor, Fletcher, and Hedenkamp LLP in Irvine, California. Blake brings decades of experience in the fields of law, government, business, and academia to AAHOA.
Blake previously worked for AAHOA for nearly 10 years, from 2005 to 2014, as General Counsel & Vice President of Fair Franchising and Government Affairs.
AAHOA History
The story of AAHOA is the story of Indian Americans pursuing – and achieving – the American Dream. It is a story of immigrants who came to the United States with only a suitcase and the hope for a better life. Asians have a rich tradition of entrepreneurship, self-improvement, and family values. After India's independence in 1947, many of that country's young people immigrated to the United States to pursue their education and "the American Dream." They became “accidental hoteliers” – men and women educated for other professions in another country who now embraced hospitality as one of the best ways to earn a living in their adopted homeland.
Many of these new immigrants arrived in America with backgrounds as entrepreneurs and business owners. During the 1970s, Indian Americans saw tremendous opportunities for prosperity in the hospitality industry, and many began to save their money in order to purchase hotels. Word quickly spread throughout the community about the potential of the hotel industry as a niche market, and the Indian American influence in hospitality began.
With a can-do attitude, a willingness to take risk, and a desire to take control of their own destiny, Indian American hotel owners succeeded – many of them perhaps beyond their own expectations. They succeeded as smart business owners and they succeeded as good citizens, all while respecting and maintaining their heritage as well as culture.
These new hoteliers faced discrimination within the industry, particularly from banks and insurance companies. To overcome these obstacles, hoteliers collaborated to form various groups, culminating in the creation of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) in 1989.
Today, AAHOA members own 60% of all hotels in the United States. Many of the original “accidental hoteliers” have passed the baton to their U.S.-educated children. These second-generation and third-generation of sophisticated, professional hotel owners and developers are positioned to build on the foundation established by their immigrant parents.
Oxford Economics Study: AAHOA Ownership and Impact
Our more than 34,000 member-owned hotels with more than 1 million employees represent a significant part of the U.S. economy.
To quantify these important impacts, AAHOA engaged Oxford Economics, an international leader in global forecasting and quantitative analysis, to conduct a comprehensive economic impact analysis.
The study analyzed the share of U.S. hotels and rooms owned by AAHOA Members, hotel operations, hotel guest ancillary spending, capital investment, and indirect and induced impacts supported by AAHOA hotels in other parts of the U.S. economy – on both the national and state-by-state levels.
Some of the key findings are as follows:
- 60% of U.S. hotels are owned by AAHOA Members
- 1.1 million employees worked at member-owned hotels, earning $47 billion annually
- 3.5 million guests stay at member-owned hotels each night, filling all 30 NFL stadiums and all 31 MLB stadiums combined
- 1.7% contribution to the U.S. GDP
- 4.2 million U.S. jobs supported by member-owned hotels
The full study can be found here.
AAHOACON
AAHOA is known for its annual convention and trade show, AAHOACON, which has been described as "the Super Bowl of the Hospitality Industry." The annual convention takes place at a different location in the U.S. each year, and draws thousands of attendees from all over the country. It is the nation's largest event exclusively for hotel owners, and guest speakers have included well-known industry professionals, public speakers, professional athletes, and government officials.
AAHOACON23, which took place April 11-14, 2023 in Los Angeles, CA, was the largest trade show in AAHOACON history, with nearly 90,000 square feet of exhibiting space.
The AAHOACON23 Trade Show was sold out, and a wait list was created – the first time ever in AAHOA history. AAHOACON23 also generated a very strong number of first-time exhibitors, 167, which is the second largest number of first-time exhibitors in AAHOA history.
On top of that, the Exhibit Sales team achieved a new record in exhibit booth sales for AAHOACON24. A total of 170 exhibitors have rebooked and will return for AAHOACON24 in Orlando next year. This number represents more than 40% of the show floor space and 100% of all exhibiting brands rebooked for AAHOACON24.
Geoff Ballotti, President & CEO of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said this in reference to AAHOACON: “There is no annual conference that more of us from Wyndham Hotels & Resorts attend than AAHOACON. We look forward to getting together in-person again, as we continue to work as an industry to navigate the recovery, restore profitability, and build a better path forward in a post-COVID world.”
For more information: https://aahoacon.com/
HerOwnership
Launched in 2022, HerOwnership: Opening Doors for Women in Hospitality aims to foster, promote, and empower women entrepreneurs to shatter the glass ceiling and pursue their entrepreneurial journey. HerOwnership offers networking and educational opportunities for women hoteliers and hospitality industry professionals, and supports all women in their hotel ownership endeavors and aspirations, helping to ensure more stability and opportunities for generations of women to come.
During AAHOACON22, an esteemed panel was held with some of AAHOA's female leaders on how women can achieve a successful hospitality career. Panelists included AAHOA Past Chair Jagruti Panwala (2019-2020); Lina Patel, Women Hoteliers Director Eastern Division (2020-2023); Tejal N. Patel, Women Hoteliers Director Western Division; and Tina Patel, AAHOA Lifetime Member of Fairbrook Hotels.
Check out the full video to learn about how these trailblazing women balance their personal and professional lives, how AAHOA has shaped each of them as a woman hotelier, and advice on how to champion other women in the hospitality industry.
In October of 2022, AAHOA held its inaugural HerOwnership Conference & Retreat in Cincinnati, OH, which welcomed nearly 300 attendees. The conference and retreat was designed to educate women about how to own a property or business, and promote women who are interested in exploring hotel ownership.
Charity Golf Tournaments
Since its inception, AAHOA has engaged with local communities by supporting charitable organizations that provide services ranging from education and disease research funding to humanitarian efforts. Thanks to the generosity of vendor partners, members, and sponsors, AAHOA has been able to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities that touch lives and make the world a better place.
AAHOA’s Charity Golf Tournaments serve as an important component of advancing its mission through community engagement. They provide a great opportunity for vendors and members to network, enjoy the outdoors, and come together for a great cause.
The AAHOA Charity Golf Tournaments not only allow participants to have fun and make a difference, they also provide the opportunity to network with hotel owners and industry leaders from across the country.
In 2022, AAHOA Charity Golf Tournaments raised more than $333,000 for local charities throughout the United States.
Advocacy
AAHOA Advocacy at the Federal, State, and Local Levels
Hoteliers are rebuilding following historically unprecedented years that tested the industry's resolve like never before. As the industry recovers, AAHOA tracks and engages on legislative and regulatory issues to promote sound public policy.
AAHOA's 2022 - 2023 advocacy agenda aims to inform and educate lawmakers by providing them with insight into the issues small business owners face as they seek to rebuild their businesses, return to the workforce, and harbor a safe environment to continue their operations.
The advocacy agenda focuses on these key areas:
- Workforce recruiting, training, and retention
- American Rescue Plan: Supporting COVID-19 relief and loan programs
- Franchise Relations
- Tax reform
- Drive by lawsuits
- Human trafficking training and prevention
- Business liability protections
12 Points of Fair Franchising
in 1998, AAHOA identified certain best practices for the hospitality franchise system. AAHOA called those best practices the 12 Points of Fair Franchising ("12 Points"). AAHOA has continuously updated the 12 Points to reflect business changes and the long-term, mutually beneficial relationship between industry Franchisors and Franchisees.
The revised 12 Points continue this mission as an educational primer for hospitality Franchisors and AAHOA Members (current and future hospitality Franchisees) to discuss and use to continue designing, developing, and implementing best-in-class, mutually beneficial franchise systems.
Download the updated 12 Points Resource Guide
Human Trafficking Prevention
AAHOA has long been at the forefront of the hospitality industry’s battle against human trafficking.
There are an estimated 25 million to 40 million victims of trafficking worldwide, with an estimated 50,000 new victims being brought into the U.S. each year. And the COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened many of the conditions that lead to the trafficking of vulnerable populations.
Human Trafficking Training
AAHOA is committed to promoting awareness of human trafficking by educating hoteliers and their employees on how to spot and report suspected instances of human trafficking.
AAHOA offers BEST Inhospitable to Human Trafficking Training, Sponsored by AAHOA, completely digital and free for all AAHOA Members and their employees. Trafficking not only destroys lives, it also can destroy livelihoods.
Learn more about AAHOA's involvement in Human trafficking prevention and awareness
References
- "House Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access, Testimony of Jagruti Panwala, Vice Chairwoman, AAHOA" (PDF). U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- "About AAHOA". AAHOA.com. AAHOA. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- Ling, Huping; Austin, Allan W. (2015). Asian American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 333. ISBN 131747645X.
- Turkel, Stanley (2009). Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry. AuthorHouse. p. 194. ISBN 144900752X.
External links
AAHOA Website: *http://www.aahoa.com
About Us: *https://www.aahoa.com/about/about-aahoa
Today's Hotelier Magazine: *https://www.todayshotelier-digital.com/aahom/library/
AAHOA Past Chairs: *https://www.aahoa.com/about/board-of-directors/pastchairs
Press Releases: https://www.aahoa.com/about/newsroom/press-releases
Strategic Plan: https://www.aahoa.com/about/about-aahoa/strategic-plan