ATLANTA, Ga., Mar. 13 – AAHOA Chairwoman Jagruti Panwala and AAHOA President & CEO Cecil P. Staton issued the following statement regarding actions taken by several hotel brands in response to the unprecedented economic effects of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry:
“On behalf of America’s hotel owners, we are grateful for the conversations and communications we’ve had with the brands and for their response to the concerns of our mutual members/owners that we related to them. We feel that the brand initiatives emerging from these discussions will help mitigate the economic hurt that COVID-19 is inflicting on hotel owners.
“We are impressed with some of the responses, such as Hilton Hotels hitting the pause button on the enforcement of brand standards, PIPs, and policy rollouts. This will allow owners more flexibility in areas such as limiting hours and food and beverage service in addition to allowing them to focus on the fundamentals of hotel operations. Our members’ first priority is keeping their guests and employees safe. Steps such as these taken by Hilton, Choice, Wyndham, G6, RLH Corporation, Radisson, and other brands will not only help owners do just that but also reduce the cost pressures associated with the implementation of these standards.
“In these uncertain times, it is imperative that we come together as an industry so that we may continue to thrive, and we appreciate these initial steps some brands are taking in response to the concerns of hotel owners. We are a resilient industry, and we are confident that, by working together, we will persevere in the face of this crisis.”
