2 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS 414 29th Street Sacramento, CA 95816 916.444.5780 www.calodging.com EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR Hee-Won Lim-Grosvenor Pacific Palms Hotel VICE CHAIR Dhruv Patel Ridgemont Hospitality IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Tom Patton, CHA Ramada by Wyndham Santa Barbara SECRETARY/TREASURER Cormac O’Modhrain Sunstone Hotel Investors GOVERNMENT & LEGAL RELATIONS CHAIR Javier Cano JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE AUDIT & INVESTMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR Laurenne Douglas Pacific Plaza Hotels, Inc. WHILE THE PANDEMIC IS “OFFICIALLY” OVER, we in the hospitality industry know that we are far from being over the economic effects of two years of drastically reduced tourism and cancelled business meetings and conventions. We are still trying to make up for that lost revenue while also trying to satisfy hiring needs despite increased costs driven by inflation. At the same time, our industry faces legal and regulatory challenges that would only make the situation worse and full recovery more difficult. Two come to mind right away. One, covered at length in this issue, is the continued onslaught of nuisance lawsuits under the ADA. These are blatant attempts by a handful of law firms to extract settlement cash from properties despite lacking legitimate claims, and under threat of extensive and costly litigation. CHLA is sponsoring legislation in Sacramento that would eliminate these suits, which are damaging to us and tarnish the reputation of genuine victims of ADA discrimination. Another is a proposed ordinance in Los Angeles that would significantly raise the minimum wage in the hospitality industry to $30 an hour by 2028—more than the city pays teachers or most other city workers. California hotels already pay competitive wages, offer strong benefits and are committed to doing what’s right for our employees. Yet, the timing of this proposal on top of other recent costly ordinances in LA demonstrates that some city leaders don’t understand that less than a year removed from mandatory pandemic shutdowns, businesses are not fully recovered. These are battles that are essential to the long-term health of our industry. And the best chance we have to win these battles is for our members to be proactive, rather than waiting for these issues to be shaped by special interest groups. CHLA, as an association, works hard on these issues. But, our real strength lies in our individual members, whose properties directly benefit local communities, pay local taxes, and employ local residents. Those are key reasons for local elected officials to pay attention to the needs of our industry—as long as they stay informed. That’s why it is vital for our members to be engaged at a local level and build key relationships with city councils, mayors, and other officials. As Javier Cano, chair of CHLA’s Government + Legal Relations Committee, notes later in this issue, engaging with the elected officials and other decision makers should be a regular part of every general manager’s job. We need to establish a relationship and a level of trust before a serious issue arises, so that your concerns and the industry’s position are considered before a law or regulation is proposed. It’s far more difficult to change a proposal when its being debated than it is to shape the proposal in the first place. CHLA’s relationships in Sacramento and in cities across California as an association are important in these battles. But there’s no substitute for local owners talking to local officials and letting them know what they can do to help us, so that we can be successful and continue to contribute to the local economy and tax base. Over the coming year, CHLA is endeavoring to ensure that you, as hoteliers, will have the opportunity to build your own relationships, for the good of your business and the industry across our state. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO Lynn Mohrfeld CHLA President & CEO Lodging News—May/June 2023 ADVERTISING & DESIGN LLM Publications 503.445.2220 | 800.647.1511 www.llmpubs.com Design & Layout Sales Representative Katie Jo Stewart Grandt Mansfield [email protected] Copyright © 2023. All Rights Reserved 2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kristi Allen Ensemble Real Estate Solutions & Investments Laura Lee Blake AAHOA Justin Boutwell Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Javier Cano JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE David Craig Pebblebrook Hotels Vipul Dayal Days Inn San Francisco Airport West Laurenne Douglas Pacific Plaza Hotels, Inc. Troy Flanagan AHLA Ross Gimpel Encore Jon Handlery, CHA Handlery Union Square Hotel Nic Hockman Disney’s Grand Californian Matt Humphreys Hyatt Regency San Francisco Daniel Kuperschmid Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego Mark LeBlanc Franck Legrand Inn at the Opera Michelle Millar University of San Francisco Michael Pace InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel Bijal Patel, CHA Coast Redwood Hospitality Bimal Patel, CHA Hotel Zico Perry Patel Radiate Hospitality Pragna Patel-Mueller Samata Management Joe Piantedosi Park Hotels & Resorts John Spear Hotel Drisco Jeffrey Thurrell Fisher Phillips Wes Tyler, CHA Chancellor Hotel on Union Square Mike Tweeten Ace Parking Management Bobby Walia Marriott International Corporation
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