I have been in the hotel industry since the 1980s. In the ’80s, I was working for my family business. My parents owned a small motel in Corbin, KY, and then Daytona Beach, FL.
When I started owning my own hotels in Florida, there was a huge spotlight on hotel owners – and the thinking that hotel owners and operators were part of the problem when it came to scourges such as prostitution and drug dealing in hotels.
Police were conducting sting operations, so I decided to be proactive, help solve these issues, and show elected officials and police officers we were on the same team.
So, what did I do? I started building community relations. I joined the board of the neighborhood association and the police advisory board – both of which you have to be appointed to.
Advocacy is the lifeblood of AAHOA. AAHOA Members have a vested interest in helping to ensure hotelier-friendly legislation is enacted and laws that could prove harmful to the industry are advocated against.
I started to form a relationship with the chief of police, the mayor, and the pastor next door, calling every hotel owner/operator to discuss increasing patrols, putting up cameras – whatever it took to reduce crime. I took part in a lot of civic participation and made sure the community knew hotel owners were part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Advocacy is the lifeblood of AAHOA. AAHOA Members have a vested interest in helping to ensure hotelier-friendly legislation is enacted and laws that could prove harmful to the industry are advocated against.
All of this starts with you. With your participation. With you being proactive. Our elected officials can’t help us pass meaningful legislation unless we educate them on the issues that matter most. It’s important that all AAHOA Members engage in the congressional policies because no one is left wondering why something didn’t happen. When you don’t engage, you can’t complain.
It’s also important to make sure you’re covered from a legal and liability standpoint, as you can be held accountable for what happens on your properties.
That’s why it is all of our responsibility to speak up and show the hospitality industry, our elected officials, and beyond, that we want to be part of the positive change we wish to see in our communities.
But, those changes can only occur if we work together to strengthen the hospitality industry and influence public policy. Build those relationships, get involved in your community, take advantage of the educational offerings AAHOA has to offer, and be proactive.
