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  • 5 min

LOBBY Affairs Plans One-Hour Substack Discussion on AI and Back-Office Operations for Small Hospitality Teams

🏨 Kevin is hosting a 1-hour LOBBY Affairs live on Substack tomorrow about improving back-office operations for small hospitality teams. He recommends using AI to map workflows, spot duplicate data entry and streamline enquiries, invoices and follow-ups. Start with 1 recurring task, test whether changes save time, and retain human control over important confirmations. Tools should offer clear ownership, recoverable information and backup processes—not create extra work.
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  • 1 min

Choice Hotels reports AI-referred website visits grew more than tenfold year over year to about 1% of traffic

🏨 Choice Hotels International reported on November 2, 2026, that AI-driven visits to choicehotels.com grew more than tenfold year over year, reaching about 1% of traffic. Company research suggests half of travel research starts with AI. Its website supports AI-agent bookings and secure payments. For franchisees, EasyBid improved group-booking win rates by 210 basis points, supporting 27% annual group-revenue growth, while an AI review-response tool cut reputation management fees by about 30%.
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  • 4 min

AAHOA’s Fifth HerOwnership Conference in Nashville Focuses on Hotel Investment, Financing and Leadership for Women

🏨 AAHOA Chairman Rahul Patel (2026–2027) highlighted the fifth annual HerOwnership Conference in Nashville, where women discussed hotel ownership, technology, leadership, financing and investment. Last month, he joined hundreds of hoteliers in Washington, D.C., for AAHOA’s National Leadership & Advocacy Conference, discussing rising costs, workforce pressures, insurance expenses, capital access and regulations with congressional offices. Patel urged members to stay informed, engage in advocacy and vote in the November 3 midterm elections.
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  • 2 min

AAHOA’s HerOwnership Conference Marks Five-Year Milestone in Nashville, Focusing on Women’s Leadership and Hotel Ownership

🏨 AAHOA’s HerOwnership Conference marked its five-year milestone in Nashville, supporting women in hospitality through education, networking and mentorship. This year’s program covered AI applications, leadership, hotel acquisitions, portfolio diversification, financing, branding and legal risk protection. Designed for women starting businesses, expanding portfolios or entering family businesses, the initiative helps attendees build connections and develop practical tools to advance their careers and ownership goals.
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  • 2 min

AAHOA to Hold AAHOACON27 in Anaheim May 4–6, 2027, With Member Elections

🏨 AAHOA’s nearly 20,000 members can support future hoteliers through tax-deductible donations to Kennesaw State University’s Michael Leven and Lee Dushoff AAHOA Scholarship for Compassionate Leadership. Hospitality and tourism contributes over $82 million to Georgia’s economy. AAHOACON27 takes place in Anaheim May 4–6, 2027. Election eligibility deadlines are December 31, 2026, for Lifetime Members and April 22, 2027, for Annual Members. AAHOA also honors veterans and military families during November.
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  • 3 min

Jagruti Panwala, AAHOA’s first chairwoman, receives the 2026 Peggy Berg Castell Award

🏆 Jagruti Panwala, AAHOA’s first chairwoman (2019–20), was honored at The Lodging Conference in October as the 2026 Peggy Berg Castell Award recipient. Selected by an independent committee, she is the award’s seventh honoree, recognized for advancing women in hospitality through leadership, mentorship and advocacy. Panwala supports the AHLA Foundation’s FORWARD movement. Award namesake Peggy Berg founded Castell to help women hold more than one-third of hospitality leadership and ownership positions.
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  • 8 min

Mentorship builds confidence for women in U.S. hospitality, who hold fewer than 29% of executive positions

👩‍💼 Women make up 52% of the U.S. hospitality workforce but hold fewer than 29% of executive roles and 20% of C-suite positions, according to AHLA’s Diversity Survey. Mentorship supports retention, promotions and confidence. Jagruti Panwala joined AAHOA in 2001, entered its board in 2011 and became its first chairwoman after her 2016 officer election. Industry leaders recommend networking, seeking guidance and building relationships with multiple mentors to advance women’s careers.
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