Wyndham Hotel Group’s 2016 Global Conference wrapped on Wednesday, and beyond the big news that came out of the event about new brand initiatives and the success of the updated Wyndham Rewards program, the company also took some time to acknowledge the hard work of one hotelier—principal of San Antonio, Texas-based REM Hospitality, Pratik Patel.
AH&LA President and CEO Katherine Lugar and AAHOA President Chip Rogers presented Patel with the first-ever Wyndham Advocacy Award. Lugar and Rogers spoke at length about the impact legislation can have on the lodging industry, as well as the importance of being united as an industry to combat harmful government initiatives. “It is a dangerous time when policymakers truly believe that they can run our businesses better than we can run them ourselves,” Rogers said. “So if we do not engage in advocacy and protect our industry by investing in the AAHOA PAC [political action committee] or the AH&LA PAC, we will guarantee that these threats against us continue to grow.”
Lugar introduced Patel as one of the guiding forces behind the current partnership between AH&LA and AAHOA, which is now stronger than it has ever been before. “[Patel] understood that as an industry, we would be powerful, much more powerful, together. And he did that for one primary reason. He understood that the challenges we would face, particularly those in the government, are impressive,” Lugar explained.
Patel is a strong advocate for the lodging industry. He is the only person who has served as AAHOA’s chairman while simultaneously serving on the AH&LA board. He now serves as the chairman of the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association. When accepting his award, Patel thanked Lugar and Rogers for all that they do for lodging. “We can all sleep better knowing that you two are in charge of two great associations leading this cohort,” he said.
“Many of you have heard me speak in the past,” he added. “We talked about our businesses, we talked about hospitality, and for those of you in this room, you know hospitality is more than just a business; it’s a way of life. This is what we do day in and day out.”
Patel also encouraged everyone in attendance to support AH&LA and AAHOA in their efforts to influence hospitality-related legislation. “It’s our job to give them the resources they need to be successful. So the membership is important, and the PAC is number two. We need to give them the tools so that they can carry out our dreams and to make sure our way of life continues.”
