CALIFORNIA The Official Magazine of the California Hotel + Lodging Association MAY + JUNE 2024 REGULATION Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Deadline Approaching FEATURE The Power of AI LEGISLATIVE ACTION SUMMIT Make Your Case
LEGISLATIVE ACTION SUMMIT p.14 MAKE YOUR CASE IN THIS ISSUE Lynn S. Mohrfeld, CHLA President + CEO, CHLA kicked off the summit and welcomed all the attendees.
OUR MISSION CHLA is the indispensable resource for communicating and protecting the rights and interests of the California lodging industry, for providing educational training and cost-saving programs for all segments of the industry, and for supporting strategic alliances to promote the value of California tourism and travel. California Hotel & Lodging Association 414 29th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816 916.444.5780 | www.calodging.com EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR Dhruv Patel Ridgemont Hospitality VICE CHAIR Cormac O’Modhrain Sunstone Hotel Investors IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Hee-Won Lim-Grosvenor Pacific Palms Hotel SECRETARY/TREASURER Daniel Kuperschmid Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego GOVERNMENT & LEGAL RELATIONS CHAIR Javier Cano JW Marriott at L.A. LIVE AUDIT & INVESTMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR Laurenne Douglas Pacific Plaza Hotels, Inc. 2024 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kristi Allen Ensemble Real Estate Solutions & Investments Laura Lee Blake AAHOA 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. Marina Dutton Irvine Marriott 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 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 Stacey Rivera Evolution Hospitality Tejal Sood Bayside Hotel Group 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 ADVERTISING & DESIGN LLM Publications 503.445.2220 | www.llmpubs.com Design & Layout Juliette Miratsky Advertising Sales John Constantino [email protected] Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved CONTENTS CALIFORNIA May + June 2024 FEATURED 10 Optimizing Your Hotel’s Financial Management Through Benchmarking 12 Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Deadline Approaching 08 Member Profile: Raj Patel 04 The Power of AI 02 Message from the President + CEO 19 C HLA Marketplace 24 Upcoming Events 25 CHLA Partners EDITORIAL DEPARTMENTS
2 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com Lynn S. Mohrfeld CHLA President + CEO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT + CEO Every year, CHLA holds its Legislative Summit, an important event for our industry that helps keep owners and managers in touch with key developments in Sacramento. It also offers an opportunity to meet legislators and create or strengthen relationships with them and have them get to know us as business owners and people. The Summit is a valuable investment of time to be sure, but it is truly just the beginning of an effective engagement with the lawmakers and regulators whose decisions can affect our industry and your property. Whether in Sacramento or your local City Hall, decisions with the potential to hurt your business can happen fast. This is when it is important to have those strong relationships that will enable you to have a voice in the decisions where it matters. There are many ways that you can leverage the connections you made at our Summit in an effort to extend and solidify the relationships that began there. First, consider sending a simple follow-up email or letter to a legislator or staffer you just met, or pick up the phone and call to thank them for the interaction—and create a permanent line of contact. Just like you, they have likely met and spoken with many people during the Summit, so keeping that connection fresh also keeps the door open when serious issues come up. So, this post-Summit contact is a great next step. Next, consider extending your new relationships by attending local events featuring or sponsored by your legislative contacts. These could be anything from ribbon cuttings to community celebrations. Connecting with your legislative contacts at local events when you are not necessarily seeking their assistance or support on an issue helps reinforce that you are an active part of the community. That will be invaluable when you do want their support. Education is another key part of building these new relationships. Few legislators truly understand how a hotel operates or the day-to-day work that’s required to maintain a property and provide guests with the services they expect. Yet many of the issues that matter to our industry relate to what goes on behind the scenes, away from the public areas. Part of your relationship building with local officials could include arranging to have them visit your property for a tour, where they can see operations first-hand and understand what it takes (and the people it takes) to run a property. As you develop these relationships, you will find opportunities to bring up local issues that are important to your property and to the hospitality industry. Even though CHLA works to bring attention to key issues around the state, adding your local voice to those efforts is extremely powerful. As the late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill was fond of saying, “All politics is local,” so that on-the-ground contact with a local manager or owner goes a long way. As we move into a national election, we will see more and more issues come up this year, whether local proposals at City Hall or on the ballot. Either way, the more we make our voices heard, the more we can shift the ultimate decisions in our favor. Building on the relationships from our Legislative Summit is a crucial part of that.
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 3
4 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com FEATURE IN ENHANCING GUEST SERVICES, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, RECRUITING AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY THE POWER OF
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 5 Hospitality is a people-centered business where the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) might not seem like a winning idea. Yet, AI can offer the industry a number of ways to actually enhance human interaction. A thoughtful and responsible approach to AI can enable hotels to not only streamline recruiting and operations but also cultivate deeper, more personalized connections with guests, enriching the overall guest experience and setting new standards for service excellence. Here’s how AI is already being used, and how it can help hotels improve their bottom line. Guest Services Success in the hotel industry depends on maintaining positive interactions with guests. Hoteliers can utilize AI tools to capture, analyze, and enhance those interactions to ensure their guests come back to stay. Those tools can be utilized at the very beginning of the guest experience: their digital journey to find hotels. According to Craig Carbonniere, Senior Director of Sales at Milestone, AI is being adopted by search engines to help hotel guests narrow down which property might be the best fit for them. The company utilizes AI, search engine optimization (SEO), and personalization to help hotels attract relevant visitors to their websites and stand out against competition. “Hotels that are embracing the opportunity to engage with guests at the very beginning of their search are capturing more market share,” Carbonniere said. Milestone’s digital marketing platform also allows hoteliers insight into their online performance across channels. FEATURE
6 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com FEATURE property and how employees work. AI can help automate repetitive tasks, freeing up hotel employees to focus on more strategic activities like relationship building and providing topnotch personalized services to guests. Operations and Marketing AI’s capacity to analyze massive amounts of data, forecast trends, and make intelligent decisions based on customer behavior is already reshaping hotel operations. According to IndustryARC, a market research consulting firm, the hospitality and tourism AI market is projected to exceed $1.2 billion by 2026. On top of guest interaction, AI can help hotels prevent internal system disruption by predicting things like maintenance needs and equipment failures. Hotels are already using AI to learn what information travelers are seeking, and then developing marketing materials in their hotel’s voice, utilizing generative AI. “You can use AI to write your first draft and then customize from there,” Carbonniere said. “This helps fuel our client’s marketing strategies with databacked content ideas, and they don’t have to start from scratch.” Hiring and Recruiting AI is also rapidly transforming the landscape of hiring and recruiting, with hotels increasingly relying on AI-driven solutions to streamline their HR processes. Stacey Chiu, a labor and employment attorney at Michelman & Robinson, LLP works with hospitality clients who report that AI programs are significantly increasing their data processing capabilities, particularly in tasks such as sourcing and screening potential candidates. Hoteliers are also utilizing AI to help answer basic HR questions. “Instead of reaching out to an HR rep at a company to ask how many vacation days they have left, employees can ask questions to the AI program and get an immediate response,” Chiu said. While AI holds the promise of efficiency and productivity gains, there are concerns regarding its potential to perpetuate biases and discrimination. AI models are only as objective as the data they are trained on, often reflecting historical biases present in human decisionmaking. Chiu focuses on advising clients on how to implement these AI tools responsibly and ensure compliance with labor laws. “If an AI model is trained on recruiting what has historically been a great candidate for the past 50 years, they might self-select certain people who are say white and male because those might have been the types of candidates that were selected for this position in the past,” she said. Many AI programs are still in the early stages of development, so Chiu highlighted the importance of backing them up with human oversight. Once customers are on your website, personalization can suggest different pages, offers, and relevant content based on their behavior, demographics, and preferences. Chatbots—or programs designed to simulate conversations with users—can also be used to support and engage them, handle routine questions about hotel services, and assist with bookings. These conversion tools can also help deliver exceptional guest experiences, providing tailored itineraries and restaurant recommendations based on their interests. AI can also help power guest feedback and conduct sentiment analysis. “AI is meant to do the heavy lifting and provide humans with the important results that matter most to them,” said Ian Sweeny, CEO and founder of Bepo, a company that provides cashless tipping solutions for hoteliers. According to the Pew Research Center, roughly four in ten Americans in 2022 said none of their purchases in a week are paid for using cash. Instead of using cash, Bepo users can scan QR codes or NFC cards to leave tips for room attendants, valets, and other hotel workers digitally from their phones. Along with the tip, guests can leave feedback. The data is collected by the platform, analyzed, and presented to employees in the form of instant alerts and reports. “If your guest is having a bad experience, you really want to understand that as quickly as possible—and ideally instantly—so you can act on it,” Sweeney said. The AI uses language and ratings to help hoteliers understand if the guest experience was positive, mixed, or negative. “AI can help us understand what guests actually value and provide the data to back it up,” he added. Employee Experience Platforms like Bepo benefit not just tippers but also hotel employees. “The real motivation for us is how do we put more money back into the pockets of service workers,” Sweeney said. AI can help to streamline how guests experience your
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 7 FEATURE NAVIGATING THE INTERSECTION OF AI AND LAW “Down the road, we will reap the benefits of AI tools working faster and not have to double check everything, but at this early stage, we need a lot of human training and oversight to check and correct potential biases or patterns that may be considered discriminatory,” Chiu added. Conclusion With so much on their plates, many hoteliers may not want to introduce yet another piece of new technology into their daily operations. And while there is an investment in time and resources required with any new technology, AI’s potential makes it worth it. “Whether you’re a small property or a large property, you can use AI tools to your benefit,” Carbonniere said. With so many products and platforms on the market, hoteliers can pick and choose what makes sense for their property. At the same time, Sweeney added that it’s important for hotels to stay educated on what kind of products are out there and what’s coming down the pipeline so they can choose the technologies that make sense for their bottom line. For hoteliers who may be hesitant to disrupt their current operations with new technology, Sweeney said it’s important to stay open-minded. “AI technologies tend to be a lot easier to use than older technologies because they mimic human behavior,” he said. “I don’t see AI as a replacement for any sort of staff or connection that hoteliers are making with guests,” Carbonniere added. “AI is a co-pilot that helps cut down on some administrative tasks and allows associates to do what they do best, which is connect with guests and provide a great experience.” While AI is already being used across many industries, including hospitality, its potential is still widely unknown. As lawmakers begin to establish workable regulatory frameworks for how the technology is and could intersect with all facets of our lives, they confront a challenging paradox: defending against the potential misuse of technology with an almost unlimited number of potential use cases but with a limited number of current realworld applications. In other words, they are regulating the future before it reaches the station. The crux of the matter lies in anticipating and mitigating potential repercussions before they manifest. Across the United States, legislators have introduced various bills and spot bills and put together various working groups that attempt to grapple with AI and its nebulous consequences. These efforts span a spectrum of concerns, from the ethical implications of AI replacing human labor to deep fakes to AI’s influence in political campaigns. On the state level, CHLA is working to ensure that proposed regulations broadly cover the future potential of AI in the hospitality industry. Assembly Bill (AB) 2930, introduced by Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan, seeks to do just this. From concierge Chatbots to facial recognition and data analysis technology to room-service delivering robots, AI technologies in the hospitality industry have direct impacts on both hotel employees and guests. AB 2930 seeks to broadly regulate these kinds of automated decision tools that make consequential decisions that have a legal, marital, or significant effect on an individual’s life. These areas cover employment, including any decisions around pay or promotions, hiring, termination, and automated tasks. The bill also covers education, housing, essential utilities, family planning and adoptive services, reproductive services, healthcare, financial services, the criminal justice system, legal services, private arbitration, medication, and voting. AB 2930 attempts to prevent algorithmic discrimination by requiring impact assessments, notices, governance programs, policy disclosures, and civil liability. As new applications of AI continue to emerge and evolve, we must remain vigilant and adaptive in our approach to its role in the hospitality industry. CHLA will continue to keep our members apprised of AI issues that impact how you do business and fight for comprehensive regulation.
8 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com MEMBER PROFILE “Patel is synonymous with hotel nowadays,” said Raj Patel, Founder, Chairman and CEO of INNsight. “Our last name means landowner or landlord. Folks emigrating from India to the United States parlayed their experience in land ownership into hotelier-ing.” Patel’s family hospitality business started with Nanalal Patel, Patel’s great uncle, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1920, “pioneering the way for countless individuals from our region in Surat, Gujarat,” said Patel. The family still owns two symbolic and historic hotel properties across from the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Patel grew up selling rooms at hotels owned by his immediate branch of the family, whose history of ownership stretches from the 1960s in Fresno, as well as long-time properties in San Francisco’s Mission and SOMA districts. Today the family also counts properties at top tourist destinations along the California coast and mountainside as part of its extensive portfolio. Taking a brief detour to attend the University of California at Berkeley and pursue management consulting in Silicon Valley, Patel was responsible for the product and business strategy behind eBay Marketplace— where he learned how to build software for e-commerce. After nearly eight years of work in high technology, Patel decided it was time to return to the family business. “I started seeing some of the challenges that hoteliers faced. It’s a fragmented industry: you’ve got franchises, you’ve got online travel agents, you’ve got all these challenges that technology either solves or creates for hotels.” After noticing that third parties hindered mom and pop hotels from performing on their own, Patel realized what they needed was a set of tools and services, and someone to guide the way. “I took a backpack, left my career at eBay, and started building out requirements and software into INNsight.” INNsight is a hospitality technology company that offers a complete digital marketing and distribution solution for the hospitality industry, or a “full Guest Engagement Platform,” according to Patel. The suite of software tools includes a property management system, website content management system, reputation management system, facilities management system, email marketing system, and more. “A lot of people don’t understand that it takes a lot to drive a hotel reservation,” said Patel. Explaining how variables like inventory dynamics and expiration dates complicate selling a hotel room online. Patel believes what separates his company from other providers is their unique pulse on the hotel landscape as an innkeeper. Possessing certifications in hotel administration, revenue management, and food and beverage operations, Patel has been involved with his family’s tourist portfolios, including deal shaping and real estate acquisition, as well as managing operations, marketing, sales, and revenue management. “We’ve been in the hospitality industry for decades, and I married hospitality with my understanding of technology to really drive innovation,” he said. Patel also believes the hotel industry should lead the charge with innovation, explaining that online travel agencies “don’t want to see disruption.” There’s a lot of risk associated with companies who use third-party connections, whereas INNsight is a “full stack proprietary software”. “Fundamentally what we’re trying to do is connect with hotels and connect with guests in multiple fashions.” According to Patel, the software is the service model. “We don’t have upfront costs for our products, we keep the hurdles low. We don’t use third parties; we don’t bolt things on.” “Whenever there’s a new thing out there, we charge ahead and start building out technologies,” he added. Later this year, Patel shared that the company is planning to launch a keystone property management system, which will be a robust cloud that ties all INNsight’s product features together and rounds out the Guest Engagement Platform. Starting as a kid greeting guests at the front desk to designing software that helps hoteliers, “the most exciting part of my journey in the industry is having taken that experience of operating hotels from a young age and leaving the industry to pursue a career in technology, only to come back and build software that encompasses all of that experience and memories,” said Patel. Embracing his longstanding family hospitality legacy, Patel hopes to continue pioneering new frontiers in guest experiences, and provide hotels tools to manage, promote and sell their products and services in new and effective ways. “We’re not looking for fanfare. For us, it’s to drive change and innovation, build cool products, and help hotels connect with their guests.” RAJ PATEL
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 9 PROFILE Embracing his longstanding family hospitality legacy, Patel hopes to continue pioneering new frontiers in guest experiences, and provide hotels tools to manage, promote and sell their products and services in new and effective ways.
10 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com In the dynamic world of hospitality, steering your hotel toward financial success requires strategic decisionmaking to not only boost your revenue but also keep your costs under control. Let’s simplify this process and understand how you, as a hotel owner, can achieve this. Understanding Your Hotel’s Financial Health It’s common for hotels to gauge their financial performance by looking at Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR). While RevPAR is a crucial metric for evaluating financial performance, it’s just one piece of the financial puzzle. A comprehensive financial analysis goes beyond just room revenue, encompassing various revenuegenerating segments like dining, golf, spa services, events, and parking. Each of these contributes to your overall income but also comes with its own set of expenses. OPTIMIZING YOUR HOTEL’S FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Through Benchmarking Managing your hotel’s expenses requires attention to detail. This includes costs associated with staff, complimentary breakfasts, supplies, utility bills, and loyalty programs. By scrutinizing these expenses, you can identify opportunities to reduce costs or areas where investing more could lead to higher returns. RevPAR, while relevant, provides a limited view of your hotel’s revenue. For a fuller understanding, consider the income generated by all segments of your hotel. For instance, if your hotel hosts events, factor in earnings from ticket sales, food and beverage sales, and room rentals. Begin by comparing segment performance to total revenue. Assessing each segment’s contribution to the total revenue offers a clearer picture of its impact on your hotel’s financial health. This approach helps you see how improvements or changes in one area can influence your overall earnings. Introducing GOPPAR and TRevPAR Gross Operating Profit per Available Room (GOPPAR) is a comprehensive metric that evaluates your hotel’s financial performance by accounting for all revenue sources and deducting all operational costs. Calculated by dividing the total gross operating profit by the number of rooms, GOPPAR serves as an essential indicator of your hotel’s profitability. Leverage the power of benchmarking to enhance profitability. GOPPAR is more than a financial health indicator; it’s a benchmarking tool that guides you in making strategic decisions to improve your bottom line. Understanding the financial interplay between different segments of your hotel allows for more informed decisions that contribute to your profitability. FINANCE
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 11 FINANCE Gross Operating Profit per Available Room (GOPPAR) is a comprehensive metric that evaluates your hotel’s financial performance by accounting for all revenue sources and deducting all operational costs. ± how much guests are willing to spend with you, which can guide you in tailoring your services or offerings. Relying on a single financial metric is not enough. By embracing a holistic view of your hotel’s financial performance, you can uncover valuable insights that lead to smarter business decisions and increased profits. Operational benchmarking, particularly through metrics like GOPPAR, provides a roadmap for success. For expert guidance and access to comprehensive financial data that can transform your hotel’s strategy, consider scheduling a demo with HotStats. CHLA members can access a complimentary regional report when they sign up with HotStats. Find out more by reaching out to [email protected]. Discover how to leverage data to refine your hotel’s financial management approach. TRevPAR, or Total Revenue per Available Room, goes beyond room sales to include all revenue sources like meals, spa services, and parking. This figure gives you a big picture look at your income streams, helping you see areas for growth or improvement. Looking at revenue on a per-room basis, whether the room’s booked or not, lets you evenly compare your hotel’s performance against others, regardless of size. And when you focus on the revenue from rooms that are actually occupied, you get a clear idea of
12 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com HEADER Introduction In response to recent well-publicized events of workplace violence in California, Governor Newsom signed a new law last Fall requiring most of California’s employers to establish, implement, and maintain a new written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan by July 1, 2024. The new law was modeled after 2017 Cal/OSHA Workplace Violence Prevention regulations for the healthcare industry. In response, CHLA has partnered with area employment law experts to provide members with a model plan and step-bystep instructions for creating the Plan and achieving compliance. Covered Employers / Workplaces The new law covers nearly all private employers in California unless they are already subject to Cal/OSHA’s existing rule for healthcare workers. Workplaces with fewer than 10 employees working at any given time that are not accessible to the public are also exempt if they have a compliant IIPP. Your Compliance To-Do List The law’s four basic requirements are: (i) creation of a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan by July 1, 2024; (ii) maintenance of a workplace violence incident log akin to your Cal/OSHA incident log; (iii) employee training; and (iv) employer recordkeeping. The Plan The Plan must be specific to the workplace. It may be incorporated into an existing Injury & Illness Prevention Plan as a standalone section or maintained as a separate document altogether (similar to COVID-19 Prevention Plans). The Plan must be reviewed annually for effectiveness and then again when a deficiency is observed or after the occurrence of a workplace violence incident. At a minimum, the Plan must consist of the following ten (10) items: (i) the names of those responsible for the Plan’s implementation; (ii) employee participation in developing/ implementing the Plan; (iii) methods for coordinating implementation with other employers who may be present at the workplace; (iv) procedures for employers to receive and respond to reports of workplace violence; (v) procedures to ensure compliance with the Plan (e.g., rewarding compliance and punishing noncompliance); (vi) emergency response and communication protocols; (vii) workplace violence training information; (viii) procedures to identify WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLAN Deadline Approaching THE LAW’S FOUR BASIC REQUIREMENTS 1 Creation of a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan by July 1, 2024 2 Maintenance of a workplace violence incident log akin to your Cal/OSHA incident log 3 Employee training 4 Employer recordkeeping REGULATION
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 13 REGULATION and evaluate workplace violence hazards at certain intervals (i.e., when the plan is first implemented, periodically thereafter, following an incident of workplace violence, and whenever a new hazard becomes known); (ix) procedures to timely correct workplace violence hazards identified; and (x) procedures for post-incident response and investigation. Workplace Violence Incident Log Employers will now need to maintain a separate Cal/OSHA log for incidents of workplace violence, but the law does not create any new employer reporting requirements. The log must consist of all incidents of workplace violence, even if the incident does not result in injury. The log must be maintained for a minimum of five years and made available to Cal/OSHA upon request. Notably, employers must exclude personal identifying information that would identify any person involved in the incident. There are also special rules for multiemployer worksites. Workplace Violence Training Employers must provide all employees with effective interactive workplace violence training: (i) when the Plan is first established; (ii) on an annual basis thereafter; and (iii) when a new or previously unrecognized workplace violence hazard is identified and/ or the Plan is revised. The law details the required topics for the training. Recordkeeping Requirements There is a five (5) year recordkeeping rule for: (i) records pertaining to your workplace violence hazard identification, evaluation, and correction methods; (ii) records of any workplace violence incident investigations; and (iii) incident logs. Training records must be kept for a minimum of one year. Next Steps Now is the time to begin preparing your Workplace Violence Prevention Plan as the July 1, 2024, deadline is just around the corner. As the Plan must be specific to the hazards of each workplace, employers should spend time analyzing their workplace and formulating effective response protocols for a workplace violence incident. For example, employers should evaluate evacuation routes, shelter in-place locations, and methods for immediately alerting employees of a violent incident in the workplace. Employers also should evaluate and discuss how to best achieve employee participation in the creation and maintenance of the Plan because active employee participation is mandatory. Employers in multi-employer worksites should consult with the other employers to coordinate implementation of the Plan and to ensure recordkeeping compliance. Finally, like most other employee protective legislation, the new law contains anti-retaliation provisions to protect employees who lodge complaints or concerns about the employer’s Plan or planning process. Employers should ensure that management at all levels of the organization and HR team are aware of and embrace these new important requirements.
14 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com LEGISLATIVE ACTION SUMMIT LEGISLATIVE ACTION SUMMIT Impacts of retail theft, inflation and insurance access on California hotels drove the dialogue at CHLA’s dynamic 2024 Legislative Action Summit this year as participants gave personalized accounts during in-office visits with state senators and assemblymembers. Their voices advocated for solutions and outlined concerns about legislation and the economic environment that has slowed California’s hospitality recovery, which is not expected to fully recover until 2027. “We need tourists to think of California first. We are where they should want to come to be entertained, see our great state and enjoy the best of America,” said Assemblymember Mike Gibson, who chairs the Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism Committee. “Come talk to us and let us know how we can help you. Hospitality is so at the heart of California.” Lynn S. Mohrfeld, CHLA President + CEO echoed how much the voice of individual hoteliers, particularly those in legislators’ districts, matter. “We continue to gain a stronger voice when we show and tell individual legislators why we are making a specific ask,” he said. “Now, as California’s state, county and city coffers face economic challenges, hotels have a stronger role to play.” Dominating the discussions were legislative directives that put more costs and mandates on hotels just as California is recovering after two years of effectively being closed by the global pandemic. Room demand in 2023 remained 5% below the 2019 level and visitor spending is not expected to return to prepandemic levels until 2027. Reinforcing CHLA’s work with Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva on legislation that enables public participation in fire severity maps that insurers use to determine rates, Summit participants pleaded for common sense solutions that ensure access to affordable insurance. No issue captured across-the-board concerns of Summit attendees more than public safety as highly publicized reports of organized retail theft rings have impacted the state’s image with tourists, conventioneers and business travelers. Participants learned about more than 15 bills seeking to address public safety and, as a result, restore confidence with travelers. The day concluded with attendees meeting with state senators and assemblymembers, sharing their perspective on these key issues, listening, and reminding the legislators about the importance hotels play in their district economy and California’s economy.
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 15 Cara Morgan, Deputy Director, Material Management and Local Assistance, CalRecycle lead a discussion on SB 1383: Food Waste Handling. Lynn S Mohrfeld, CHLA President + CEO, CHLA reviewed last year’s issues and what revealed what we can expect in the year ahead. Assemblymember Phillip Chen Laura Lee Blake, President & CEO, AAHOA, shared the importance of Grass Roots Engagement. LEGISLATIVE ACTION SUMMIT Assemblymember Mike Gipson, Chair of Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism discussed Olympics, Large Events & Importance of Tourism to California Economy and Budgets.
16 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com Marriott General Managers showed up in force to learn about this year’s lodging issues. Marian Dutton, Irvine Marriott; Shelly Moranville, Residence Inn Sacramento Downtown at Capitol Park; Trent Selbrede, Residence Inn San Diego La Jolla; Kandee Anderson, Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel; Jeoen Gerres, Sheraton Grand Sacramento; Julie Waters, Marriott International; John Ford, Westin Gaslamp; and Clif Clark, Westin St. Francis. Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA; Chair Gipson; Dhurv Patel, CHLA Chair; and Lynn Mohrfeld, CHLA. Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA; Assemblymember Chen; Lynn Mohrfeld, CHLA/ Dhurv Patel, CHLA Chair; and Vinay Sharma, Red Roof Franchising. LEGISLATIVE ACTION SUMMIT
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 17
18 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com HEADER ISSUE DEADLINE July/August May 28 Advertise in California Lodging News! California Lodging News is the official bi-monthly magazine of the California Hotel & Lodging Association. With a readership of 9,000 viewers per issue, your advertising will reach members of a booming industry in California—all of which are the owners, presidents, and key decision makers of their respective companies. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to showcase your business to those that need your products and services most. ADVERTISING RATES STARTING AT $230! • CHLA members receive special discounts. •
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 19 MARKETPLACE BARTERING/TRADING IMS Barter..................800.287.3874 x1730 BATHROOM ACCESSORIES & SERVICES High Sierra Showerheads.....888.445.1941 BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION Hotel Effectiveness Solutions.....................................678.325.1150 Salary.com................................ 480.237.6130 BEVERAGES/BEVERAGE DISPENSING SERVICES Everybody Water, Inc............ 917.583.7838 BUILDING MAINTENANCE Public Storage....................... 214.505.0092 CARPET & FLOORING SALES & SERVICE Embassy Carpets..................800.366.7847 CLEAN TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTORS Panasonic Eco Systems North America (PESNA) – IAQ Division....... 510.203.3630 CLEANING SUPPLIES/SYSTEMS Ecolab, Inc...............................800.352.5326 HD Supply Hospitality........800.431.3000 Mobile-Pack............................206.947.4905 Pro Window Care (PWC).....877.278.3777 Renegade Brands USA, Inc.................................... 216.789.0535 ACCESSIBILITY/ADA COMPLIANCE ADA Compliance Consultants, Inc...................... 916.608.0961 AMENITIES/ROOM & HOTEL AMENITIES Chadsworth & Haig..............843.675.8250 Groupe GM USA, Corp....... 805.245.0845 ARCHITECTS Architectural Dimensions...510.463.8300 ASSOCIATIONS Hotel Council of San Francisco............................. 415.391.5197 Visit California Caroline Beteta 916.444.4429 [email protected] www.visitcalifornia.com Visit California is a nonprofit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs that keep California topof-mind as a premier travel destination. AUDIO/VISUAL Encore Global Ross Gimpel 530.559.0700 [email protected] www.encoreglobal.com Encore is a leading provider in the global event technology services industry delivering creative production, advanced technology, and staging to help customers deliver more dynamic experiences. BANKS/BANKING SERVICES TMC Financing........................ 415.989.8855 CHLA COFFEE/TEA SALES/ SUPPLIES/SERVICES Brown Eyed Girl Coffee Company, LLC.........................408.332.6991 Tayst Coffee, Inc........................516.962.2141 xBloom Coffee....................... 734.272.8679 COMPUTER HARDWARE Dell..............................................512.723.6063 COMPUTER SOFTWARE ChefTec.................................... 303.447.3334 CONSULTING & TRAINING Accurate Ergonomics..........707.894.4544 Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking (BEST)...........206.905.6843 Hogan Hospitality..................... 415.331.1061 Petra Risk Solutions.............800.466.8951 Singer Associates, Inc...........831.227.5984 STR.............................................615.824.8664 Wallace Hospitality Solutions................................ 800.450.0082 CONTRACTORS LIXIL Brands..........................805.206.9053 CREDIT CARD SERVICES Casablanca Payments..........203.253.7259 DIRECT TV PROVIDER Commercial Connect Television, Inc.......................... 877.789.7995
20 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com MARKETPLACE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS California State Polytechnical University – Pomona.................................... 909.869.3105 California State University – Long Beach.............................562.985.4485 California State University – East Bay.....................................510.885.4710 Cypress College...................... 562.331.4032 San Diego State University................................ 619.594.4964 University of San Francisco.......................... 415.422.2498 EMPLOYEE RELATIONS/BENEFITS Petra Risk Solutions.............800.466.8951 ENERGY EFFICIENCY Utility Saver............................. 619.259.0492 ENERGY MANAGEMENT Constellation Energy...............831.247.2723 INNCOM by Honeywell.......... 714.699.6131 Verdant Energy Management Solutions.......888.440.0991 ENTERTAINMENT SONIFI Solutions...................442.309.6254 Union Square Business Improvement District..............415.781.7880 FINANCING/FINANCIAL PLANNING Hallmark Funding Corporation.............................. 916.784.2614 Hospitality Funding.............. 650.740.9875 Pinnacle Bank........................ 408.637.6030 FITNESS EQUIPMENT Gym Equipment Rental......... 818.471.3603 FOOD SUPPLIERS/DISTRIBUTORS Foodbuy Hospitality............. 513.225.4642 Just ‘N’ Case Essentials, Inc......................... 866.636.8225 FRANCHISING InterContinental Hotels Group.......................... 770.604.8149 Red Roof Franchising Stephanie Pina 713.576.7459 [email protected] Red Roof is an award-winning leader in the lodging industry recognized for creating the innovative Upscale Economy segment serving millions of guests each year. Whether business or leisure, short trips or extended stays, in the hearts of cities or on the road, Red Roof has a property for every traveler. FURNITURE/FIXTURES & EQUIPMENT (FF&E) Case Goods Refinishing Robert Wallis, President 1545 Crossways Blvd, Ste 250 Chesapeake, VA 23320 757.617.4459 [email protected] https://casegoodsrefinishing.com/ Case Goods Refinishing specializes in ecofriendly, on-site refinishing for hotels. With over 50 years of combined experience, they offer long-lasting solutions that save owners up to 94% on replacement costs. HOTEL BROKERAGE Lodging Brokers Network.................................... 415.606.4587 NewGen Advisory – The Bowman Post Group......818.667.0627 HOTEL DEVELOPMENT/DESIGN Trinity Investments..................213.318.0587 HOTEL MANAGEMENT Acme Hospitality....................805.456.4291 Aelius Management Group.......................................... 209.518.0971 Allen Property Group, Inc..... 831.688.9231 Apple Hospitality REIT......... 804.344.8121 Ashford Hospitality Trust REIT...............................972.490.9600 Braemar Hotels & Resorts, Inc........................972.490.9600 BRE Hotels & Resorts..............718.921.8124 Concept Hotel Group........... 650.839.6274 Crescent Hotels & Resorts................................703.279.7820 Davidson Hospitality Group....................................... 678.349.0909 Destination Properties, LLC..................... 760.250.0998 DiamondRock Hospitality Company............. 240.744.1150 Edward Thomas Collection.................................310.859.9366 Ellis Hospitality.......................... 415.775.8116 Ensemble...................................562.257.1005 Extended Stay America Corporate Office.................... 855.485.0712 Four Sisters Inns.........831.649.0908 x108 Hotel Managers Group, LLC............................... 858.673.1534 Huntington Hotel Group....... 972.510.1200 Hyatt Hotels Corporation........................... 301.380.3000 Interstate Hotels & Resorts................................ 949.783.2500 Johnson Hospitality..............925.730.4930 Loews.........................................212.521.2000 Noble House Hotels & Resorts...................................425.827.8737
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 21 MARKETPLACE LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES Alliance Laundry Systems.... 323.721.8832 Wash Automated...................425.326.6322 LAW FIRMS/LEGAL SERVICES Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt, LLP........................... 818.508.3700 DCap Claims.......................... 800.236.9220 DPA Attorneys at Law.........760.273.0007 Fisher Phillips Jeffrey Thurrell 949.798.2158 [email protected] www.fisherphillips.com Fisher Phillips is a national law firm specializing in labor and employment law and committed to providing practical business solutions for employers’ workplace legal problems. Fisher Phillips attorneys help clients avoid legal problems and are dedicated to providing exceptional client service. The firm has over 400 attorneys in 36 offices. Foster Garvey, PC................... 206.816.1470 Hirschfeld Kraemer..................310.255.1821 Holland & Knight, LLP..........214.964.9500 Miller Law Group.................. 650.566.2290 Nossaman, LLP.........................949.477.7617 Stokes Wagner, ALC................ 213.618.4124 LINENS/BEDDING/TEXTILES A1 American........................... 833.205.2200 Comphy Company.................323.225.8234 Cuddledown/ Royal River Trading................207.632.6831 H&I Hospitality & Institutional Supplies............ 562.544.1942 Venus Group............................949.609.1299 ICE MAKERS Manitowoc Ice – Western Pacific Scott Haag 2953 E Hamilton Ave Fresno, CA 93721 559.266.9505 [email protected] www.teamwpd.com Ice machines, water filtration, disinfection devices, refrigerators and freezers, cooking equipment, and more. Six locations in California and Nevada. INSURANCE SERVICES/BROKERS DiBuduo & DeFendis Insurance..................................559.432.0222 Heffernan Insurance Brokers.....................................650.842.5246 Petra Risk Solutions Ida Gonzalez 800.466.8951 [email protected] www.petrarisksolutions.com Petra Risk Solutions specializes in insurance, risk management, and employee benefit solutions for the hospitality industry. Petra is offering CHLA members exclusive discounts and access to their industryleading Hospitality Risk Management Program, P3. UnitedHealth Group Kaley Krause 952.406.6381 [email protected] uhc.com.restinfo With UnitedHealthcare, the only endorsed health carrier of CHLA, you’ll find an array of quality health plan solutions designed for the hospitality industry. Attract and retain top talent. Delver on what matter to employees today. Contact their dedicated team to review a variety of products and opportunities for cost savings typically only available to larger groups. USI Insurance Services......... 949.343.1585 INTERIOR DESIGN MLS Interiors, Inc.................... 951.763.8597 LAUNDRY DESIGN & INSTALLATION Western State Design...........800.633.7153 Omni Hotels Corporate....... 972.730.6664 OTO Development, LLC.....864.596.8930 Pacific Plaza Hotels, Inc.......510.832.6868 Pacifica Hotel Company.....805.957.0095 Park Hotels & Resorts............ 571.302.5757 Radiate Hospitality............... 650.424.1400 Reneson Hotel Group..........415.883.4400 Ridgemont Hospitality........510.569.4400 RLJ Lodging Trust..................301.280.7777 Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, LLC........................310.228.5000 Service Properties Trust......617.964.8389 Sonesta Hotels.......................800.766.3782 Spire Hospitality................... 469.788.8700 Springboard Hospitality...... 818.905.8280 Stonebridge Companies......303.785.3100 Storey Hospitality................. 650.885.5189 Summit Hotel Properties.....512.538.2300 The Mayer Corporation........949.759.8091 Xenia Hotels & Resorts..........407.317.6950 HOTEL/RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES Frank & Ron Hotel-Motel Supply, Inc................................510.568.4072 HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES Gecko Hospitality.................. 949.375.5943 Go Further Group..................... 951.281.8011 Hotel Employee Rate BV...............................31.062.787.8043 INFINITI HR............................. 623.455.6234 Paychex.....................................949.357.7905 Seasonal Connect..................... 617.716.6491
22 CALIFORNIA LODGING NEWS www.calodging.com MARKETPLACE LOCKS/KEYS/LOCKING SYSTEMS Dormakaba USA, Inc.......... 248.583.3700 MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS 24Seven Hotels.......................949.734.6401 American Hospitality Services.................................... 530.662.7750 CIM Group...............................323.860.9558 Empire USA, LLC..................310.394.6300 Evans Hotels............................ 858.777.6705 Franklin Croft..........................858.454.2188 Greystone Hotels..................... 415.915.0426 Host Hotels & Resorts......... 240.744.1000 HRI Hospitality...................... 504.566.4754 Inns by the Sea......................... 831.624.0101 Kintetsu Enterprises Company of America............310.782.9300 Lyon & Lyon Property Management........................... 619.296.6333 Marc & Rose Hospitality.....602.240.3340 Morrison & Company...........858.454.5633 Oxford Collection.................... 541.749.1050 Pacific Advisors......................888.399.3331 Pacific Hospitality Group.... 949.861.4700 Pebblebrook Hotel Trust.....240.507.1300 Samata Management........... 805.544.5651 Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc........................ 949.330.4000 Waterford Hotels & Inns........ 650.347.1222 Woodside Hotels & Resorts................................ 650.330.8888 Zenique Hotels...................... 650.483.9968 PLUMBING & SUPPLIES Andersen Commercial Plumbing.................................. 909.741.0542 PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AutoClerk, Inc..........................925.284.1005 Oceanic Enterprises................ 707.257.3717 ResNexus Software...............877.236.2685 StayNTouch............................347.828.4690 ThinkReservations Richard Aday 877.736.4195 [email protected] Think Reservations is a technology company that provides an advanced reservation booking engine and management system. They focus on delivering a high quality product to your guests as well as focusing on automation to help you save time! WebRezPro Property Management System...........403.777.9300 PUBLICATIONS LLM Publications.................. 503.445.2220 PURCHASING/E-PROCUREMENT Class Action Capital.............800.407.4422 Source1 Purchasing..............833.568.5862 REAL ESTATE BROKERS Amber Hotel Company......... 818.851.3300 Atlas Hospitality Group......949.622.3400 Kirkwood Collection...............424.532.1160 RESTAURANT SUPPLIES Culinary Depot......................888.845.8200 MARKETING/DIGITAL MARKETING SERVICES Miles Partnership................... 559.515.4899 Q4Launch by Inhabit...........970.963.7208 rezStream................................ 720.420.7783 MATTRESS RECYCLER Mattress Recycling Council...................................... 707.307.3052 MOLD REMEDIATION BluSky Restoration Contractors.............................800.266.5677 OFFICE SUPPLIES/PRODUCTS Revolution Office...................949.421.9508 OUTDOOR FURNITURE & DECOR Patio Guys.................................. 714.241.1200 PAINTING/WALL COVERINGS C&A Painting...........................408.841.6109 PARKING ABM Building Value Parking.......................... 213.393.0248 ACE Parking Management, Inc. Mike Tweeten 619.233.6624 [email protected] www.aceparking.com Ace Parking provides exceptional hospitality management in the fields of valet parking, self parking, shuttle fleet, bell services, door services, and equipment consultation. PEST MANAGEMENT Clark Pest Control Frank Giannico 555 N Guild Ave Lodi, CA 95240 800.903.9002 [email protected] www.clarkpest.com/commercial-services Clark Pest Control is now offering Monthly ProActive service for bedbugs giving you and your guests peace of mind. Contact us for more information.
www.calodging.com May + June 2024 23 MARKETPLACE RESTORATION SERVICES Belfor Property Restoration...............................510.785.3473 First Onsite Property Restoration and Reconstruction.............. 925.383.8447 Hometown Plumbing & Restoration............................760.349.1777 SAFETY/SAFETY PRODUCTS Cintas Corporation................ 714.646.2532 Location Tech, Inc. Jeff Engel 7040 Avenida Encinas, Ste 104 Carlsbad, CA 92011 760.579.8799 [email protected] https://locationtech.com/ Panic Buttons + Smart Sensor Solutions: Blind spot-free wireless network provides precise room & floor location, meets requirements for hotel worker emergency safety devices. Optional location-enabled Motorola® Radios and other smart sensors. React Mobile............................ 888.415.0977 Relay Brittany Nelson 4200 Six Forks Rd, Ste 1800 Raleigh, NC 27609 [email protected] relaypro.com Relay is an award-winning communication system and employee safety device. The pushto-talk device and integrated platform empower properties with technology to quickly and safely connect to the information they need. ROAR..........................................215.660.7897 SECURITY CONSULTING & SERVICES Amorous Security................... 707.219.6693 Code 4 Private Security John Garcia 562.579.3001 [email protected] CODE 4 Private Security offers hotels with unarmed, armed, virtual security, and vehicle patrol services throughout California. SECURITY PRODUCTS/SYSTEMS MIWA Lock Company Ltd..........................949.328.5280 Securitas Security Services USA..........................408.205.8150 SIGNAGE HotelSigns.com..................... 888.273.8726 SOLAR SYSTEM PROVIDER Wholly Solar/ Construction........................... 209.888.7974 TAX CONSULTING Adesso Capital.........................800.737.3751 Downstream Exchange Company................................... 626.796.1031 Grant McCarthy Group, LLC............................... 914.798.9934 Kroll, LLC.................................303.749.9034 TECHNOLOGY Accessible Crew, LLC............336.580.5138 AQQIRE Robert Astudillo 408.573.1210 [email protected] AQQIRE is an evolution from The Hotel Inventory, which used technology to help sellers distribute for sale properties to a greater audience. It used its website to learn about user preferences and then used email and social media marketing to amplify messages to targeted markets. Bepo, Inc................................... 619.886.5535 eTip............................................. 415.999.7369 HotStats.................................. 844.434.2607 PressReader..............604.278.4604 x347 Samsotech International......408.784.1482 SHR Group............................... 920.382.7497 Utrip Group, Inc..................... 626.512.9009 WrkSpot................................... 844.975.7768 TELECOMMUNICATIONS Comcast Business.................. 925.371.3580 The Maynard Group................831.462.0777 TELEVISIONS/ELECTRONICS RoomNet................................. 877.644.7666 VTV Technologies................. 808.497.8286 UTILITY SERVICES/CONSULTANTS Repcor......................................... 415.939.2721 WATER CONSERVATION Indoor Water Conservation............................ 619.392.8961 WEBSITE DESIGN & OPTIMIZATION Acorn Marketing......................719.329.0977 INNsight..................................... 415.609.1565 Milestone, Inc........................ 408.492.9055 WINDOW COVERINGS UV Design, Inc.........................213.310.8085 WINDOW/WINDOW REPLACEMENT Soundproof Windows, Inc. Ashley Sorensen Reno, NV 89502 877.438.7843 [email protected] www.soundproofwindows.com/hotels Windows and sliding glass doors specifically designed to stop noise, without replacing what you already have. Reduce noise levels by up to 95%, increasing room comfort and cutting utility bills.
calodging.comRkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Nzc3ODM=