WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, following the Senate Republicans’ release of the latest COVID-19 relief package, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) applauded the inclusion of several hotel industry priorities and urged Congress to move quickly to pass the legislation. Among the provisions in the Senate package are additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and limited liability protection for businesses as they reopen.
“Hotels and hotel employees have been severely impacted by the pandemic,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. “We urgently need help just so hotels can remain solvent in order to retain and rehire our employees. We applaud lawmakers who have recognized this fact while crafting this critical legislation. We urge Congress to move swiftly to pass additional support directed at the industries and employees who have been most negatively impacted by this crisis.”
As Congress debates the latest round of COVID-19 relief, AHLA is continuing to press for the following:
- Provide additional liquidity for severely impacted businesses through a targeted extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
- Establish a Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS) market relief fund, with a specific focus on the hotel industry, as part of the Federal Reserve’s lending options.
- Make structural changes to the Main Street Lending Facility established under the CARES Act to ensure hotel companies can access the program.
- Include limited liability language to provide a limited safe harbor from exposure liability for hotels that reopen and follow proper public health guidance.
- Include targeted tax provisions that will benefit severely injured businesses and their employees, including tax credits for capital expenditures or expenses to meet the industry’s Safe Stay initiative; enhanced Employee Retention Credit (ERC); a temporary travel tax credit; exempting taxation on phantom income from loan modification forgiveness or cancelation; and allowing full deductibility of the food and entertainment business expense.
