- 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers

1 min

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

9 November 2026

🏨 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%.

4 min

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

9 November 2026

🏨 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.

2 min

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

9 November 2026

🏨 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.

2 min

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

9 November 2026

🏨 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.

3 min

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

9 November 2026

🏆 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.

8 min

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

9 November 2026

👩‍💼 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.

7 min

Simi Shah, 29, grows South Asian Trailblazers from a podcast into a media and advisory business

9 November 2026

🎙 Simi Shah, 29, launched South Asian Trailblazers during COVID, growing a podcast into a media platform, community events and executive advisory business. The Harvard- and Wharton-educated Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree amplifies South Asian leaders’ stories. Her father, Nitin Shah, cofounded AAHOA and chaired it in 1993–94 after immigrating to the U.S. in the 1980s. Shah delivered the keynote at AAHOA’s fifth annual HerOwnership Conference.

4 min

Investing in childcare benefits yields returns of roughly 5% to 300% across 11 employer interventions, report finds

9 November 2026

👶 U.S. childcare disruptions affect 9 in 10 parents’ work, costing $70 billion annually in lost workforce output, including $1–$2 billion in hospitality, according to Moms First research supported by McKinsey. All 11 childcare interventions studied delivered positive returns of roughly 5%–300%. Since 2022, Hilton’s Wellthy partnership has enrolled over 3,500 employees, saving 37,000-plus hours. In 2026, federal employer childcare tax credit limits rose from $150,000 to $500,000, or $600,000 for eligible small businesses.

3 min

How independent hoteliers can create more opportunities for women through financial training and exposure to ownership decisions

9 November 2026

🏨 Aaryan Patel, chair of AAHOA’s Independent Hoteliers Committee, urges independent hotel owners to create clearer paths for women into leadership and ownership. He recommends hands-on exposure to financing, budgeting, revenue management, renovations, and investment decisions. Family hotels should give daughters and sons equal learning opportunities, while employers should identify talent early and expand responsibilities. Broader perspectives can improve business decisions and help retain talent. The article provides no dates, numerical data, or statistics.

1 min

Accor and Hard Rock Announce Global Partnership Bringing About 25 Hotels to ALL Loyalty Program

9 November 2026

🏨 Hard Rock’s New York City hotel generated over 1,500 monthly room nights through Accor by July, versus 84 initially; over 90% of guests were new to Hard Rock. Announced Monday, their global partnership brings about 25 standalone hotels into Accor’s ALL loyalty program. Three of Hard Rock’s roughly 10 casino hotels could also join. Ennismore will help develop hotels worldwide, while Accor’s sales team will pursue group and meetings business.

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