Industry NewsAHLA Releases Statement About HOTEL Act

AHLA Releases Statement About HOTEL Act

WASHINGTON—American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Interim President and CEO Kevin Carey released the following statement after the introduction of the Halting of Trafficking and Exploitation in Lodging Act, or the HOTEL Act, which encourages federal workers traveling for business to stay at hotels with anti-human trafficking programs.

“The HOTEL Act recognizes the crucial role hotels play in the fight against human trafficking, and we are proud to support this important legislation,” said Carey. “We look forward to working with Reps. Smith and Krishnamoorthi and lawmakers across the House and Senate to pass this legislation.”

The Halting of Trafficking and Exploitation in Lodging Act, or the HOTEL Act, was introduced by Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill. It would encourage federal workers traveling for business to stay at hotels with anti-human trafficking programs.

To qualify under the bill, hotel training must be developed in consultation with either a state government, human trafficking survivors, survivor-led anti-trafficking organizations, or any organization that is nationally recognized for its expertise in this area—for instance, the AHLA Foundation.

AHLA, its members, and the AHLA Foundation are committed to trafficking prevention:

  • Since 2019, the No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) initiative has supported trafficking-prevention training for hotel employees through a partnership with PACT (formerly ECPAT-USA).
  • These free training modules help hotel staff understand what to look for and how to respond to signs of trafficking while explaining how to display human trafficking indicator signage in hotels, establish company-wide policies, coordinate with law enforcement, and share success stories and best practices.
  • The introductory training has been taken more than 1.8 million times to date, and thousands are trained every year. These numbers do not include additional anti-trafficking training efforts by AHLA members, which vary in length and frequency.
  • The AHLA Foundation in 2022 announced expanded efforts to support trafficking survivors through the industry’s first-ever Survivor Fund, which has raised $3.7 million since its inception.
  • As part of its continued commitment to combatting this issue, AHLA Foundation is matching NRFT Survivor Fund contributions up to $5 million dollars (with an overall goal of $10 million in total contributions).

“Through the AHLA Foundation’s No Room for Trafficking initiative, the hotel industry is united in the effort to prevent human trafficking and support survivors,” said AHLA Foundation President Anna Blue. “The collective impact of the industry can accelerate innovative human trafficking prevention efforts and upstream strategies to make a positive difference in the communities where we work and live.”

RELATED ARTICLES

Accor Reports Q1 2025 Results

Accor reported Q1 2025 results. Highlights include: Revenue up 9.2 percent to €1,349 million RevPAR up 5 percent versus Q1 2024 Pipeline up 4.9 percent over the...

Hampton Inn & Suites Maui North Shore Announces Opening of Oceanfront Hotel

KAHULUI, Hawaii—Hampton Inn & Suites Maui North Shore, operated by Springboard Hospitality, announced the opening of its newly built 136-room oceanfront hotel. Located on the...

Choice Hotels International Introduces Mews Cloud Technology as Property Management System Option

AMSTERDAM—Choice Hotels International is introducing Mews as a property management system (PMS) option for international franchisees. The platform is designed to connect with Choice Hotels' proprietary...

Urban Catalyst and Island Hospitality Celebrate Opening of Marriott TownePlace Suites in San Jose

SAN JOSE, California—Urban Catalyst announced the official opening of the Marriott TownePlace Suites. The project was developed in collaboration with Island Hospitality Management. Located in...

Lodging Econometrics: U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Grows in Q1 2025

As seen in Lodging Econometrics’ (LE) Q1 2025 U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report, at the close of the quarter, the pipeline consisted of 6,376...

Palette Hotels Awarded Management of DoubleTree by Hilton Washington Meadow Lands Casino Area

WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania—Palette Hotels announced that it has been awarded management of the 140-room DoubleTree by Hilton Washington Meadow Lands Casino Area in Washington, Pennsylvania....