Hotel & Motel Management - May 19, 2008 - (Page 12)

12 AAHOA Update IN THE details AAHOA rates franchisors Compliance evaluated Changes negotiated Seek agreements H&MM May 19, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition AAHOA promotes ﬁnding ‘common ground’ A By Ashwin ‘Ash’ Patel H&MM Columnist s many of you already know, the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn. held its Annual Convention & Trade Show March 2629 in San Antonio. Keynote speakers Jimmy Johnson, representatives from Afterburner and columnists from USA Today’s “Common Ground” rounded out a very busy schedule of 15 professional development breakout sessions, 450 vendor exhibitors, and speeches by luminaries like Elaine Chao, U.S. secretary of labor, and Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. senator. Something else happened at the convention this year: the release of AAHOA’s Progress Report on Fair Franchising. For those of you who haven’t seen the report, here’s a summary: In an effort to establish a productive dialogue with the franchise companies and educate our members about issues that may affect their businesses, AAHOA created a Performance Appraisal Report for several of leading franchi- E Every AmericInn n is built solid. W We believe every franchise partnership should be the same. ® AmericInn is looking for a select group of owners. We’re a strong brand with all the building blocks in place for growth— from site planning to construction to operations to marketing and more. Every AmericInn is constructed using our exclusive AmericInn SoundGuard™ construction. We use masonry blocks and other noise reducing materials between every room for the best noise control in our category. Quiet rooms are just part of our story. AmericInn also stands for its welcoming lobby, slightly oversized guest rooms appointed with the amenities guests want and our fresh, bountiful breakfast offering. If you are committed to a solid partnership, call 800-680-2491 or email franchisedev@americinn.com. sors and sent it to them for feedback. This report sought to evaluate the franchisors’ compliance with our 12 Points of Fair Franchising. AAHOA then scheduled meetings and conference calls with each of the franchise companies to negotiate changes to their franchise agreements and policies that would lead to more balanced franchise contracts. The Progress Report released at the convention was a summary of progress made so far by the franchisors to comply with AAHOA’s 12 Points. During the session by USA Today’s “Common Ground” columnists Bob Beckel and Cal Thomas, I realized that in many ways it mirrored the negotiating process AAHOA is attempting to initiate between franchisors and franchisees. For those not familiar with the column, Beckel, a liberal Democratic strategist, and Thomas, a political conservative, write a column called “Common Ground,” in which they present both sides of contentious issues in order to ﬁnd shared beliefs. The basis of their success is that they preach compromise and stress the need to return to civil and respectful dialogue to solve problems. AAHOA’s Performance Appraisal Report and the subsequent Progress Report are excellent examples of how AAHOA encourages franchisors and franchisees to seek common ground on which they can agree. Franchisees need to assume that franchise contracts favor the franchisor at every turn and on every question. It is important to remember that franchisors and franchisees need each other to thrive, and the only way a proﬁtable relationship is built is if each party is respectful of the other. It is only if we work together—if we search for common ground—that both franchisors and franchisees can succeed. hmm@questex.com Ashwin “Ash” Patel is 2008 chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn. Contact him at (404) 816-5759 or visit www. aahoa.com. americinn.com CIRCLE NO. 104 http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://americinn.com http://www.aahoa.com http://www.aahoa.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - May 19, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - May 12, 2008 Contents Hotelier of the Year Leads Team to Victory Sheraton Builds on International Success Slower, Smaller Transactions in First Quarter Perspective Legal FAQ What Women Want Sales Clinic AAHOA Update Franchise Law Family Business Travel Trends Guest Column HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Cleaning and Maintenance H&MM's 2008 Franchising Fees Guide FACs Evolve to Meet Brand, Owner Needs The Importance of Branding When Buying Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - May 19, 2008

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