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AAHOA Member Contributions 

Recognized by Los Angeles City Council 

ATLANTA, GA, September 10, 2024—The Los Angeles City Council recognized AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association), the largest hotel owners association in the world, with "AAHOA Day" on Wednesday, September 4, in acknowledgment of the association's pivotal role as entrepreneurs, job creators, and contributors in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

More than 100 AAHOA Members attended an LA City Council meeting where Councilmembers John Lee (CD-12) and Traci Park (CD-11) introduced AAHOA and paid tribute to the role local hoteliers have played in the city's development. Park and Lee presented AAHOA with a resolution recognizing the hoteliers' contributions.

After the presentation, LA Mayor Karen Bass made a special appearance to meet with AAHOA Members and congratulate them on their efforts, which warranted the recognition of a dedicated AAHOA Day.

Councilmember Paul Krekorian (CD-2) said it was appropriate that the recognition coincided with the city's 243rd birthday. 

"It's easy to say 'I love LA and be an LA booster,'" he said. "You came here, worked 12- to 14-hour days to build a business, create savings, and then invested your life savings in the soil we are on….that is how you show you love LA."

AAHOA Members own 1,165 hotels in the Greater Los Angeles Area, including about 650 hotels in Los Angeles. These properties, with 93,776 guestrooms, contribute significantly to the local economy, generating $6.3 billion in annual hotel sales and an estimated $17 billion overall economic impact.

"It is an honor to see our work recognized by the LA City Council," said Chairman Miraj S. Patel. "AAHOA Members have consistently engaged in advocacy that supports the hotel industry, and we are grateful for this acknowledgment of our efforts. I commend Greater Los Angeles Area Regional Director Naresh (ND) Bhakta and Northeast Los Angeles Hotel Owners Association President Ray Patel for their hard work and dedication in leading these efforts, and all the AAHOA Members who joined for this special event."

"We appreciate the Los Angeles City Council's recognition of our efforts," said AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake, who spoke at the City Council event on Wednesday. "It was incredibly special that they acknowledged the invaluable contributions of AAHOA and its members to the hospitality industry, the local economy, and the limited-service sector. I also personally loved that by their resolution, the LA City Council encouraged all residents, businesses, and organizations to join in the celebration of AAHOA Day and to recognize the important role AAHOA Members play in the economic and social fabric of Los Angeles. This acknowledgment truly reflects the commitment of our members in the Greater Los Angeles Area to advocate for the hotel industry and our communities. Congrats to our local leaders for accomplishing this historic event with their diligence and the close relationships they have developed with the elected officials. Definitely a day to be greatly celebrated by all.”  

The recognition highlights AAHOA's recent efforts to address the hotel industry's critical challenges. One such effort was the association's involvement in revising the proposed "Hotel Land Use and Replacement Housing Requirements." AAHOA played a role in transforming the original mandatory homeless voucher program into a voluntary one, helping to balance the community's needs with the operational realities of hotel businesses. AAHOA Members also worked on the proposed minimum wage hike, advocating for a carve-out for limited-service hotels.

AAHOA has also been collaborating with the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) and the Hospitality Association of Los Angeles (HALA) to provide input on the city's police permitting process and encourage members to engage with legislative representatives regarding reforms to the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). AAHOA remains focused on ensuring hotel owners' voices are heard in matters affecting their operations.

Prior to and following the council meeting, AAHOA Members met with Councilmembers John Lee (CD-12), Tim McOsker (CD-15), Heather Hutt (CD-10), Kevin de Leon (CD-14), and the policy director for Councilwoman Monica Rodriquez (CD-07), to discuss areas of concern for local hoteliers. These included labor shortages, the rising costs of insurance, operating expenses, and mortgages, the economic impact on limited-service hotels, and support for Asian American minority hoteliers. 

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About AAHOA

AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the world, with Member-owned properties representing a significant part of the U.S. economy. AAHOA's 20,000 members own 60% of the hotels in the United States and are responsible for 1.7% of the nation’s GDP. More than 1 million employees work at AAHOA Member-owned hotels, earning $47 billion annually, and member-owned hotels support 4.2 million U.S. jobs across all sectors of the hospitality industry. AAHOA's mission is to advance and protect the business interests of hotel owners through advocacy, industry leadership, professional development, member benefits, and community engagement.