AAHOA Statement on Hotelier Lawsuits

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ATLANTA, Ga., June 28 – AAHOA Interim President & CEO Ken Greene issued the following statement in response to several lawsuits filed by hoteliers against their brands:

“We are aware of several lawsuits recently filed by hoteliers against their brand.

While not everyone involved is an AAHOA Member, we are committed to protecting the business interests of the hoteliers we serve.

Because litigation is often the product of lack of necessary communication or a failure to reach a mutual understanding, AAHOA sees these lawsuits as an opportunity to increase dialogue, understanding, and communication between franchisees and franchisors — which will in turn create a better brand and customer experience.

At a time when everyone is recovering from pandemic-related losses, we want to acknowledge that hoteliers are doing their very best to stay afloat, and cost-saving measures are top of mind. AAHOA acknowledges that further dialogue is needed around the topics of brand value proposition, brand mandates related to specific vendors, the opt-in/opt-out process, and raising awareness about the issues alleged in the lawsuits.

We know how important vendor selection, options, and pricing are to franchisee hotelier members as is evidenced by AAHOA’s Points of Fair Franchising. AAHOA is well-versed in this topic, and it remains paramount to our brand advocacy efforts.

We appreciate the communication from membership on this topic and, as a membership association serving America’s hoteliers, we want to hear from you.

We remain committed to being the voice of franchisees with your brands and to being the foremost resource and advocate for America’s hotel owners. And an aspect of that commitment is to urge changes to the hotel franchise model on behalf of hoteliers post-pandemic to maximize owner ROI.”

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