Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - (Page 23) www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition HotelMotel.com | H&MM September 1, 2008 News 23 NABHOOD Continued from page 4 environment,” he said. Baltimore predicted fortunes will be made in the coming years by those who invest intelligently in the lodging industry. But discipline and structure are critical, he said. Steven Rudnitsky, president and CEO of Wyndham Hotel Group, said it’s not all gloom and doom. “We’re riding the down curve. While occupancy is actually down 2-plus percentage points year over year, average daily rates are up nearly 5 percent, which yields a national average [revenue per available room] gain of 2.5 percent,” he said. Rudnitsky also recalled how after 2001, everyone panicked and discounted their prices. “It took years for the industry to recover from those discounts because customers came to equate low rates with the value of products,” he said. Rudnitsky stressed that hoteliers need to take a longer view of what is happening in the market and encouraged attendees to examine franchising. Rudnitsky also said he was surprised by the low rate of black participation in the lodging industry. He applauded NABHOOD for its efforts, as well as the American Hotel & Lodging Assn.’s multicultural and diversity council. Rudnitsky listed three reasons why these efforts are critical to all involved: “First, African-Americans represent a significant percentage of the population, and therefore, a market of lodging services, without question. Second, we’re looking for new ideas a diversity of thought. And insights into the needs of African-American guests and those of other underserved communities are absolutely vital in order for all lodging entrepreneurs to be successful. And third, African-Americans should broaden their piece of the economic pie by investing in the lodging industry,” he said. Choice Act, better known as the card-check bill. Colucci called card check the most serious issue facing the industry, and said she was amazed so many people know so little about it. She expressed concern at the provisions that would send a government arbitrator in when a new union did not come to an agreement with a hotel within 90 days. “I don’t think there’s a lot of people that want the government coming into their business because they don’t understand it,” she said. “Our business is cyclical—there are shifts—you have to have flexibility; sometimes people have to have more than one job.” Ashwin Patel, chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn., explained that card check could possibly change the way hoteliers do business in the U.S. The card-check bill, said Patel, is misnamed, as it is not about free choice. “An individual would lose their right to vote in private to unionize. Entrepreneurs like us, the backbone of America, the small businesses of America, would not have control over our own businesses or over our own destiny.” Patel also warned about potential rewrites of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He said some current proposals hinder business from being succesful or take away properties’ grandfather clauses. pheney@questex.com Legislative update Attendees heard a lot about lobbying as well. AH&LA’s executive VP of public policy, Marlene Colucci, gave a detailed overview of the association’s lobbying activity, including a description of its fight against the Employee Free CIRCLE NO. 117 SDCI 0156-01_HMM S&D Coffee, Inc. • 800.933.2210 www.buffaloandspring.com H&MM | PAUL J. HENEY Marlene Colucci, executive VP of public policy for AH&LA, talked about concerns regarding the card check bill. http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.buffaloandspring.com http://www.buffaloandspring.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 Contents Element LEEDs Brand-wide Promise NABHOOD Speakers: Hold Rates Perspective Letters to the Editor Legally Speaking Satisfaction Trends AAHOA Update Energy Star Update Marketing Matters Events HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Coffee Services Business Equipment Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 (Page 1) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 (Page 2) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - NABHOOD Speakers: Hold Rates (Page 4) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - NABHOOD Speakers: Hold Rates (Page 5) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Letters to the Editor (Page 6) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Letters to the Editor (Page 7) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Satisfaction Trends (Page 8) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Satisfaction Trends (Page 9) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - AAHOA Update (Page 10) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - AAHOA Update (Page 11) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Energy Star Update (Page 12) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Energy Star Update (Page 13) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Marketing Matters (Page 14) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Marketing Matters (Page 15) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Events (Page 16) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - HotelWorld Update (Page 17) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 18) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 19) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 20) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Trends & Stats (Page 21) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Coffee Services (Page 22) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Coffee Services (Page 23) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Coffee Services (Page 24) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Coffee Services (Page 25) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Business Equipment (Page 26) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Business Equipment (Page 27) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Business Equipment (Page 28) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Business Equipment (Page 29) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 30) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Ad/Editorial Index (Page 31) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Marketplace (Page 32) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 33) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 34) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 35) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 36) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Classifieds (Page 37) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 38) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 39) Hotel & Motel Management - September 1, 2008 - Checking Out (Page 40)
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