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Kennesaw State University, Virginia Tech Take Home Top Honors at AAHOACON25 Hotel Turnaround Collegiate Championship

NEW ORLEANS, APRIL 17, 2025 – Kennesaw State University took home the People's Choice Award, and Virginia Tech received the Judges Championship Trophy at the AAHOA Second Annual Hotel Turnaround Collegiate Championship.

This industry-first competition format challenged university students from across the nation to compete in making the kind of operations and investment decisions all hotel owners must make to turn things around when performance is lagging. The competition is part of AAHOA's commitment to supporting the next generation of hospitality leaders.

"The future of our industry depends on the next generation of hoteliers, and the AAHOA Collegiate Championship: Hotel Turnaround Competition is an incredible way to showcase their talent and creativity," AAHOA Chairman Kamalesh (KP) Patel said. "This competition challenges students to think like hotel owners, preparing them for the real-world decisions that drive success. AAHOA is proud to support these rising leaders, and we congratulate this year's winners on their outstanding achievements."

Fourteen teams of two students, each representing seven universities from around the country, came together to battle it out at AAHOACON25 for the championship. Students had to navigate a simulation program, HOTELsim, powered by Russell Partnership Technology, that enabled them to make decisions mirroring real-life challenges faced by AAHOA Members. These included staffing, operations, marketing, and capital investment decisions. Each team of students "acquired" a hotel that was financially identical in terms of performing in the same market and having the same key performance indicators. Teams used HOTELsim to implement ownership strategies to improve hotel valuation and future profit potential. 

The participating schools were:

• Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI

• Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

• Florida International University, Miami, FL

• Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Natchitoches, LA

• Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA

• University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

• University of Memphis, Memphis, TN

Based on financial and balanced scorecard operational results, four teams— Kennesaw State University, Virginia Tech, University of South Carolina, and Grand Valley State University—advanced to the competition finals, where student teams presented their simulated hotels as investment or purchase opportunities to a "Shark Tank-style" panel of industry brokerage, acquisition, and investment leaders. 

"We are thrilled to celebrate the talented and innovative winners of the 2025 AAHOA Collegiate Championship: Hotel Turnaround Competition," AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake said. "This competition continues to highlight the exceptional skills and creativity of students from top hospitality management programs as they tackle real-world challenges in hotel ownership. Watching their teamwork and problem-solving in action is truly inspiring. AAHOA remains committed to fostering the next generation of hospitality leaders, and we are proud to provide a platform that elevates their potential. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success."

For information on how to get involved in the AAHOACON26 Collegiate Championship, please email edudept@aahoa.com.

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About AAHOA

AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the nation, 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 1.4% of the nation's GDP. More than 1 million employees work at AAHOA member-owned hotels, earning $51.3 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.