NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland—With a record level of membership, an increasingly noteworthy presence in Washington and continued sway in the franchising community, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association is happy to be celebrating its 20th anniversary. But it isn’t about to rest on its laurels, AAHOA leaders said during the association’s annual conference and trade show last week at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center.

“As we look back over the past 20 years, we have a lot to celebrate,” said Tarun Patel, incoming chairman. “But we must not become complacent.”

“The message we are sending is a proactive approach not only assuring the success of our members, but our industry,” president Fred Schwartz told the 3,500 attendees. “We have gone from a mere handful of hotels to 22,000 hotels and are being recognized on a national scale. Whether it is our opposing the Employee Free Choice Act or other initiatives, we will continue campaign to advance the rights of our members and industry. One would be hard-pressed to find an association with more unity, and we act as one to make the changes necessary for our association to prosper.”

Ash Patel

AAHOA boasts more than 9,300 members representing about 22,000 hotels in the United States. Its members own US$60 billion in hotel real estate in the U.S., according to Schwartz.

Leveraging that representation into action is one of the association’s primary goals.

Patel said AAHOA’s power is a combination of all its members—including their financial freedoms, social success and its next generation of leaders.

“But the power is constrained by the glass walls surrounding us,” he said. “Does AAHOA really know who it is?”

The association during the conference launched a member survey to better find out what it stands for. Administered by PKF, the survey and subsequent analysis will determine what AAHOA’s footprint really is, according to Patel.

Ash Patel, the outgoing chairman and Tarun Patel’s brother, said the association’s members own many hotels, pay a lot of taxes, employ a lot of people and are a force to reckon with.

He said the new governance model that AAHOA now employs meant nearly 70 changes this year.

“We are no longer operating under personal agendas. We operate under strict and transparent guidelines,” Ash Patel said.

Part of that platform is to further enhance the group’s 12 points of fair franchising. This year it allowed franchisors and membership organizations to provide success points as AAHOA updated its franchising progress report.

“When judging franchise companies, this is an important component to determine where you’re putting your money,” Ash Patel said during a press conference. “On one hand we need to partner for the benefit of our members. On the other hand, we need to advocate for the rights of our members.”

India in spotlight

AAHOA continues to embrace India, the homeland of many of the association’s leaders.
It hosts AAHOA University in India and this year had more than 60 graduates of its certified hotel professional program.

But perhaps nowhere has AAHOA made more of an impact than on legislative issues in the United States. Backed by a political action committee that raised 50 percent more money than it set as a goal in 2008, the association was able to help fight bills that can impact its members’ businesses and well being, Ash Patel said.

“It has been a banner year,” he said. “We have made tremendous strides in many categories.”

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Connecticut, told attendees on the second day of the convention that AAHOA’s role is important as the United States continues to reinforce its relationship with India. He said October’s signing of the US-India Nuclear Accord was a clear indication of the two countries’ friendship.

“This was an extremely important moment. It helped clean out the underbrush in the relationship between India and the United States,” said Dodd, who was warmly applauded after the remark.

“You have made AAHOA a force not only in the Indian American community but our country and public life,” Dodd said. “Our greatest strength is the diversity of our population—the ideas that you can bring to this debate to strengthen institutions and get this country’s financial health back on track.”

Dodd, the co-chair of the India Caucus in the U.S. Senate, told attendees that the current economic crisis must be met head on with confidence and optimism.

“While there’s no magic economic formula to restore confidence and optimism … more than anything else that is the essential ingredient,” he said.

He recognized that lodging demand “fell off the cliff” and that credit markets are frozen by fear and uncertainty.”