CHLA Lodging News January February 2020

2 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS 414 29th Street Sacramento, CA 95816 916-444-5780 www.calodging.com EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR Bijal Patel, CHA Coast Redwood Hospitality VICE CHAIR Tom Patton, CHA Ramada Santa Barbara IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Michael Pace InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel SECRETARY/TREASURER James Lim Omni San Francisco Hotel GOVERNMENT & LEGAL RELATIONS CHAIR René Boskoff Monterey Marriott Hotel AUDIT & INVESTMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR Laurenne Douglas Pacific Plaza Hotels, Inc. 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bhupen Amin Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Jennifer Barnwell Pebblebrook Hotel Trusts René Boskoff Monterey Marriott Hotel Javier Cano JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE Vipul Dayal Days Inn San Francisco Airport West Laurenne Douglas Pacific Plaza Hotels, Inc. Paul Gibbs Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Airport Ross Gimpel PSAV Terri Haack Terranea Resort Jon Handlery Handlery Union Square Hotel Todd Herperger Sunstone Hotel Investors Nic Hockman Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel Daniel Kuperschmid Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego Elvin Lai Ocean Park Inn Mark LeBlanc Interstate Hotels & Resorts Hee Won Lim Pacific Palms Resort James Lim Omni San Francisco Hotel RJ Mayer The Mayer Corporation Michelle Millar University of San Francisco Michael Pace InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel Bijal Patel Coast Redwood Hospitality Bimal Patel Hotel Zico Dhruv Patel Ridgemont Hospitality Pragna Patel-Mueller Samata Management Tom Patton Ramada Santa Barbara Pam Ryan The Inn at the Mission Chirag Shah AAHOA John Spear Hotel Drisco Jeffrey Thurrell Fisher Phillips Wes Tyler Chancellor Hotel on Union Square Scott VandenBerg Hyatt Regency Sacramento ADVERTISING & DESIGN LLM Publications 503-445-2220  |  800-647-1511 www.LLMpubs.com Design & Layout Sales Representative Stephanie Pendell Katy Patterson katy@llmpubs.com Copyright © 2020. All Rights Reserved MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR Bijal Patel CHLA Chairman CEO and Principal Partner, Coast Redwood Hospitality Each of us is passionate about our industry. We enjoy caring for travelers, and we want to do our job even better—for our guests and for ourselves. Individually, our members are amazing. Together, we can be extraordinary. That’s why I am very confident that we are going to do very special things for our members, and for our industry, in the year ahead. As I begin my term as Chairman, I look back with respect and forward with excitement. I am very mindful that serving in leadership is a privilege, and that I am the youngest chairman in CHLA’s rich 126-year history— the first ever under age 30. So I am honored, I am humbled, and above all, I am ready. My goals are ambitious, but they can be summed up in three simple points. First, to attract more young professionals to hospitality. There are misimpressions, especially among young people, that our industry is dull and routine. So, we need to show how sophisticated and rewarding hospitality has become. Goal two is to continue and enhance our fight against ADA nuisance lawsuits. During the past year, CHLA has launched a program of legal assistance to members. To date, we have become involved in more than 70 cases and our achievements have been impressive. My third goal is to expand workplace safety. I’d like to work with CHLA on introducing a program of workplace safety and education that will benefit both employees and guests. It’s a program that demonstrates to legislators, and to the public, that voluntary measures by our industry are as good, and perhaps even better, than any mandated regulations. While my plans are ambitious, they are realistic and they are achievable. During the coming year, I will always do my very best for you. And I have just one request: please do your best to help me. Share your ideas. Tell me what’s on your mind. And especially, get involved. Join me as an enthusiastic advocate for the many worthy initiatives that CHLA carefully develops to protect your assets and to improve our industry. To get more “out” of CHLA, you have to put more “in” to CHLA. So attend meetings. Serve on committees. Participate in capitol visits. Our planned calendar of events for 2020 offers more opportunities than ever for you to be active. Become an “actionpreneur”—a member who takes action and becomes engaged. That’s how you can make your CHLA membership even more valuable for yourself and for your fellow members. New Year Brings New Opportunities for You to Participate continues on next page  