Source: Hotel Business
June 22, 2020
ATLANTA—Texas hotelier Biran Patel is the new chairman of AAHOA, the world’s largest hotel owners association.
In a video message to AAHOA’s nearly 20,000 members, Patel praised the resiliency of hoteliers and reaffirmed the association’s commitment to helping them weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlighting the association’s efforts to help the industry over the past few months and to address the difficulties hotel owners continue to face, Patel was optimistic, noting, “In the face of this challenge, there is hope.”
“I am excited to serve America’s hotel owners in this role,” he said. “While there are many challenges for us as hoteliers, there are also opportunities for our association to grow and for us to grow with it. Over the past three months, AAHOA delivered valuable educational resources to our members about navigating, adapting to and learning about COVID-19. Our advocacy team worked tirelessly to pressure Congress to address the liquidity crisis hotel owners face. AAHOA delivers under pressure.”
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the hospitality industry as businesses begin to recover from the sharp decline in occupancy rates and revenues caused by travel restrictions and stay-home orders. Patel said that his priorities will be to lead the board in strategic thinking as it revises the association’s strategic plan.
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