Ed Brock is an award-winning journalist who has worked for various U.S. newspapers and magazines, including with American City & County magazine, a national publication based in Atlanta focused on city and county government issues. He is currently assistant editor at Asian Hospitality magazine, the top U.S. publication for Asian American hoteliers. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Ed began his career in journalism in the early 1990s as a reporter for a chain of weekly newspapers in Baldwin County, Alabama. After a stint teaching English in Japan, Ed returned to the U.S. and moved to the Atlanta area where he returned to journalism, coming to work at Asian Hospitality in 2016.
“BE ONE BODY” and roar like a pride of lions, Pujya Brahmviraharidas Swami, one of India’s leading saints, told attendees of the 2023 AAHOA Conference and Trade Show in Los Angeles last week in his keynote speech. However, his call for unity came at a time when several large hotel companies boycotted AAHOACON23 over AAHOA’s support for franchising reform.
The association’s new chairman, Bharat Patel, will have to lead the effort to follow Pujya Brahmviraharidas Swami’s guidance and unite the membership in light of the split with Marriott Hotels International, Choice Hotels International and others. The leadership required will take courage, said Pujya Brahmviraharidas Swami, who spearheads the global outreach of BAPS in the U.S. to spread harmony and collaboration and who the Indian government and heads of state have called upon for guidance.
“This is not just a story of celebrating the past or creating the future, but also of recalibrating the present. This is not a story of a motel and a mouse,” Brahmaviharidas said. “This is a story of an empire of hospitality and a pride of lions. Roar in the right direction, in the right way, and the world will listen.”
Also during AAHOACON23, which set a record level of booth sales for the trade show, members elected new board members. The association also announced a new charity organization dedicated to helping victims of natural disasters, and software company Virdee took the top prize in the inaugural AAHOA Tech Pitch Competition.
Change of command
New Chairman Bharat Patel officially moved into the top spot on the board on the last day of the conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center. He replaced Nishant “Neal” Patel and will be followed next year by Miraj Patel, who is now vice chairman.
“Like the theme from AAHOACON23, I look forward to honoring the past and creating a bolder future by working with AAHOA’s nearly 20,000 members to ensure we reestablish strong partnerships with our state associations, grow the AAHOA PAC to new record levels, and make advocacy front and center to AAHOA’s mission and vision,” Bharat said in his acceptance statement.
From left, AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel, past Chairman Nishant “Neal” Patel, AAHOA Treasurer Kamalesh “KP” Patel and Vice Chairman Miraj Patel prepare to shoot T-shirts into the crowd and AAHOACON23.
Bharat’s family, including parents Matan and Kalavati and sisters, came from the village of Rola in India to the U.S., by way of England, in June 1980 when he was 9 years old. They first arrived in Boston, where Kalavati had family, but eventually made their way to Florida where he currently lives in Sarasota.
Previously, Bharat said advocacy and education would be the focus of his administration.
“We really want to try to help tackle this labor market and also advocate for higher limits on [Small Business Administration] loans,” he said. “Those are the two things we're really pushing for. And on the state level, there's a lot of short-term rental laws trying to be passed. On short term rentals, that's Airbnb, VRBO, being vacation homes that are rented monthly, now they're turning into daily or day-to-day rentals.”
Rahul Patel, owner of the Wisdom Group in Bradenton, Florida, is the new AAHOA secretary.
Kamalesh “KP” Patel moves from secretary to treasurer now, and Rahul Patel, owner of the Wisdom Group in Bradenton, Florida, is the new AAHOA secretary. Elections also were held for several regional director positions, director at Large Western Division, Young Professional Director Eastern Division and Women Hoteliers Director Eastern Division.
AAHOA’s ‘fair franchising’ stance leads to absences
While AAHOA said booths at its trade show were sold out, there were several notable absences. In January, Marriott International announced it would withdraw its support for AAHOA and the conference in response to the association’s 12 Points of Fair Franchising and its support for New Jersey Assembly Bill 1958, which would make changes to the state’s Franchise Practices Act that could benefit franchisees.
Choice Hotels International followed suit in February. Along with those two companies, however, several others that ordinarily attend AAHOACONs did not have booths at the show, including IHG Hotels & Resorts and Hilton. Other companies, including G6 Hospitality, BWH Hotel Group and Red Roof, have publicly endorsed the 12 Points.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts also attended. However, Wyndham President and CEO Geoff Ballotti said his company does not support the New Jersey franchise law but AAHOA members make up a substantial percentage of their franchisees. He said the way the bill is currently written would “handcuff” franchisers and prevent them from providing what their owners want.
Laura Lee Blake, president and CEO of AAHOA, on stage at AAHOACON23.
“We support AAHOA, we support being here,” he said. “It is something that it would be great to see us all together on legislative issues like that. Hopefully we’ll find our way through this so we are on the same side of the issue.”
Rahul Patel was asked about the importance of supporting the New Jersey bill during the candidates’ debate.
“The owners came up with this beautiful bill. It is protecting hotel owners’ interest, bottom line,” he answered. “No, they cannot sell points for profit. They cannot make money on vendor programs. This cannot go away from the contract they themselves signed. They cannot take away my idea of protection. Those are the important things AAHOA said is to protect the owners. And that's why we have to continue that support. Because this is the only Association who cares about all of the bottom line and more states where such goods should be introduced to protect.”
Marriott and Choice declined to comment on the conflict previously. Former AAHOA Chairman Hitesh “HP” Patel, now chief operating officer for Houston-based Curve Hospitality, said he remains optimistic for a solution.
“I think there's going to be a resolution at the end day,” HP said. “AAHOA relies on vendor partners and vendors rely on AAHOA. The issues that are happening right now, I'm pretty confident that was going to get resolved pretty soon. And it's just a conversation that needs to be had, we have to work with our vendor partners at the end day.”
In other news
On the first day of the show, AAHOA announced the creation of the AAHOA Charitable Foundation, a non-profit aimed at providing disaster relief, educational scholarships and grants, charitable initiatives for worthy causes, and humanitarian aid.
“I can think of no better way to conclude my chairmanship of AAHOA than by launching the AAHOA Charitable Foundation,” said Neal Patel. “AAHOA members are hardworking, creative, and entrepreneurial. They are also generous and community-minded. The AAHOA Charitable Foundation gives all of our members a new outlet to continue supporting our communities.”
To mark the launch of the new foundation, AAHOACON23 attendees made donations with the goal of raising $50,000 in the first week.
“Through charitable golf tournaments, hurricane relief efforts and other charitable activities, AAHOA members believe in giving back to our local communities,” Bharat Patel said. “The AAHOA Charitable Foundation builds on these efforts and provides a new venue for AAHOA members to support their communities.”
Also, a panel of five judges with expertise in technology and hospitality chose Virdee’s Virtual Reception Software from a field of eight finalists in the Tech Pitch Competition. Rajiv Trivedi, former brand president for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc.’s La Quinta Inn and chairman of TST Capital, is a founding investor in the company.
The competition is designed to help identify and elevate companies with ideas and products that will help the hospitality industry face challenges, like labor shortages, from the pandemic.
“It's super exciting when you start a company, and you start selling the product, and the first thing you want to do is get product market fit and start building your client base. And then any sort of recognition like this is a huge honor for us. So really, it's a cool experience and a great feeling,” said Branigan Mulcahy, co-founder of Virdee, “There's a lot of great things we learned from the other companies that presented. There are things that help housekeeping be more efficient, and hiring and in tipping, and all of these other technologies that come into the flow.”
Funnyman gets serious
Comedian Hasan Minhaj was the first keynote speaker for the 2023 AAHOA Conference and Trade Show in Los Angeles April 11 to 14. Minhaj’s Netflix show “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj” won two Peabody Awards, and he has appeared in minor television roles, such as a recurring role on “The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.”
During his appearance, Minhaj talked about his family’s settling in California in the 1980s. His personal experience was similar to many in the audience, he said.
Comedian Hasan Minhaj, left, is interviewed by outgoing AAHOA Chairman Nishant “Neal” Patel during the 2023 AAHOA Conference and Trade Show in Los Angeles April 11 to 14.
“Like many of you kids here, I was pre-med, and that didn't work out,” Minhaj said. “I was pre-law and that didn’t work out, so here I am the keynote speaker, everything worked out fine.”
In an interview with outgoing AAHOA Chairman Nishant “Neal” Patel, Minhaj recalled the effect the release of the 2004 movie “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle” on his own career. The movie stars Indian American actor Kal Penn.
“That was a seminal moment, I think, for Indian Americans in the pop culture for cinema. And it was this ‘A-ha’ moment for me where I was like, maybe we have a place in this industry,” Minhaj said. “I was thinking about this last night when I was flying over here. I was thinking about, why is AAHOA inviting me to be a part of this. My career is so different than the story of the hotel motel business. But if you think about it, what Asian Americans are doing Hollywood right now breaking into an industry that normally wasn't typically accommodating, and it's no different than what all of you have done in the ownership business of hotels in America.”
Unity and enrichment
Keynote speakers at the 2023 AAHOA Conference and Trade Show in Los Angeles included visionary and mystic Sadhguru and Pujya Brahmviraharidas Swami from BAPS. Both men delivered spiritual advice to attendees.
Keynote speaker Pujya Brahmviraharidas Swami gestures to the audience during his keynote speech at the 2023 AAHOA Conference and Trade Show in Los Angeles.
Pujya Brahmviraharidas Swami spearheads the global outreach of BAPS to spread harmony and collaboration of all generations and backgrounds, according to AAHOA. He has played a role in some of the most recent global events at the call of the Indian government and heads of state.
Pujya Brahmviraharidas Swami urged AAHOA leaders to preserve the culture and the values they represent.
“I want you to transform the industry, or more importantly, to be you. You are different not just because we're the biggest, the largest, the wealthiest, you are different because you are the most united,” he said. “You should become a single body. What do I mean by a single body? In a body, every organ has a different role to play. The job of the eyes is what? To see the job of the ear is what? To hear. The job of the eyes is to see. Every organ in our body has a separate job. Suppose you're walking on the road. It is the job of the eye to see a stone. If the eyes are distracted and not doing their job, … if you fall on the ground you hit the head. But you still get up and say what? Thank God my eye is safe. It was the fault of the eye and still you protect the eye. Protect your people, now and forever and ever more.”
Sadhguru is known as a yogi, humanitarian and spiritual leader. He gave an interview during the show that appeared on YouTube.
“You say a machine is well engineered we mean to say it’s functioning with the least amount of friction,” Sadhguru said in the video. “If you function with the least amount of friction everything that you do will be of a beautiful nature and you’ve created a different world around yourself. Let’s make an effort.”
Mystic Sadhguru on stage at AAHOACON23.
California hotelier and longtime AAHOA member Sunil “Sunny” Tolani said Sadhguru said every human is born with an individual style of mind. People can enrich their minds through yoga, prayers or meditation to control negative thought processes and put themselves in a position to understand others and respect other people’s feelings and beliefs.
“I respect Sadhguru for his clarity of vision about life and how it can be lived happily and beautifully,” Tolani said. “Thanks to him for bringing this awareness to the present generation and AAHOANS. Every single word needs special attention to understand it's meaning.”
The Trump administration says it is reviewing more than 55 million visa holders.
Reviews cover a wide range of visas for law enforcement and overstay violations.
The administration also suspended worker visas for foreign commercial truck drivers.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION is reviewing more than 55 million people who hold valid U.S. visas for potential violations. It is expanding a policy of “continuous vetting” that could result in revocation and deportation.
The State Department confirmed all visa holders are subject to ongoing review, which includes checking for overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety or ties to terrorism. Should violations be found, visas may be revoked, and holders in the U.S. could face deportation, according to the Associated Press.
Officials said the reviews will include monitoring of visa holders’ social media accounts, law enforcement records and immigration files. New rules also require applicants to disable privacy settings on phones and apps during interviews. The department noted visa revocations since President Trump’s return to office have more than doubled compared to the previous year, including nearly four times as many student visas.
The administration also announced an immediate halt on issuing worker visas for foreign commercial truck drivers, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio citing road safety and competition concerns for U.S. truckers.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio posted on X.
The Transportation Department linked the move to recent enforcement of English-language proficiency requirements for truckers, aimed at improving safety. The State Department later said it was pausing visa processing while it reviewed screening protocols.
Critics, including Edward Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations, warned the actions could have significant economic consequences.
“The goal here is not to target specific classes of workers, but to send the message to American employers that they are at risk if they are employing foreign workers,” Alden wrote, according to AP.
Data from the Department of Homeland Security shows there are 12.8 million green card holders and 3.6 million temporary visa holders in the United States. The 55 million figure under review includes many outside the U.S. with valid multiple-entry tourist visas.
Earlier this week, the State Department reported revoking more than 6,000 student visas for violations since Trump returned to office, including around 200 to 300 for terrorism-related issues.
The vast majority of foreign visitors require visas to enter the U.S., with exceptions granted to citizens of 40 countries under the Visa Waiver Program, primarily in Europe and Asia. Citizens of China, India, Russia and most of Africa remain subject to visa requirements.
A $250 Visa Integrity Fee in President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill drew criticism from groups that rely on seasonal workers from Latin America and Asia on J-1 and other visas.
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Peachtree Group originated a $176.5 million retroactive CPACE loan for a Las Vegas property.
The deal closed in under 60 days and ranks among the largest CPACE financings in the U.S.
The company promotes retroactive CPACE funding for commercial real estate development.
PEACHTREE GROUP ORIGINATED a $176.5 million retroactive Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy loan for Dreamscape Cos.’s Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The deal, completed in under 60 days, is its largest credit transaction and one of the largest CPACE financings in the U.S.
The 2,520-room Rio, now under the Destinations by Hyatt brand, was renovated in 2024 and comprises two hotel towers connected by a casino, restaurants and retail, Peachtree said in a statement.
“This transaction is a milestone for Peachtree Group and a testament to the ecosystem we have built over the past 18 years,” said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's managing principal and CEO. “Through our vertically integrated platform, deep expertise and disciplined approach, we have developed the infrastructure to be a leader in private credit. Our ability to deliver speed, creativity and certainty of execution positions us to provide capital solutions that create value for our investors and partners across market cycles.”
Atlanta-based Peachtree is led by Friedman; Jatin Desai as managing principal and CFO and Mitul Patel as principal.
The CPACE loan retroactively funded the renovations, allowing the owners to pay down their senior loan, the statement said. The property improvement plan included exterior work, upgrades to the central heating and cooling plant, electrical infrastructure improvements and convention center renovations.
Jared Schlosser, Peachtree’s head of originations and CPACE, said the deal marks an inflection point, with major financial institutions consenting to its use for the benefit of the capital stack.
“By closing quickly on a marquee hospitality asset, we were able to strengthen the position of both the owner and its lenders,” he said.
The CPACE market has surpassed $10 billion in U.S. originations in just over a decade, according to the C-PACE Alliance, with growth expected as more institutional owners and lenders adopt it.
“We see significant opportunity for retroactive CPACE and its use in funding new commercial real estate development,” Schlosser said. “It is an alternative to more expensive forms of capital.”
In June, Peachtree named Schlosser head of originations for all real estate and hotel lending and leader of its CPACE program. Peachtree recently launched a $250 million fund to invest in hotel and commercial real estate assets mispriced by capital market illiquidity.
Global pipeline hit a record 15,871 projects with 2.4 million rooms in Q2.
The U.S. leads with 6,280 projects; Dallas tops cities with 199.
Nearly 2,900 hotels are expected to open worldwide by the end of 2025.
THE GLOBAL HOTEL pipeline reached 15,871 projects, up 3 percent year-over-year, and 2,436,225 rooms, up 2 percent, according to Lodging Econometrics. Most were upper midscale and upscale, LE reported.
The U.S. leads with 6,280 projects and 737,036 rooms, 40 percent of the global total. Dallas leads cities with 199 projects and 24,497 rooms, the highest on record.
LE’s Q2 2025 Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report showed 6,257 projects with 1,086,245 rooms under construction worldwide, unchanged in project count and down 3 percent in rooms from last year. Projects scheduled to start in the next 12 months totaled 3,870 with 551,188 rooms, down 3 percent in projects but up 1 percent in rooms. Early planning reached 5,744 projects and 798,792 rooms, up 10 percent in projects and 9 percent in rooms year-over-year.
Upper midscale and upscale hotels accounted for 52 percent of the global pipeline, LE said. Upper midscale stood at 4,463 projects and 567,396 rooms, while upscale reached 3,852 projects and 655,674 rooms. Upper upscale totaled 1,807 projects and 385,396 rooms, and luxury totaled 1,267 projects and 245,665 rooms, up 11 percent year-over-year.
In the first half of 2025, 970 hotels with 138,168 rooms opened worldwide. Another 1,884 hotels with 280,079 rooms are scheduled to open before year-end, for a 2025 total of 2,854 hotels and 418,247 rooms. LE projects 2,531 hotels with 382,942 rooms to open in 2026 and 2,554 hotels with 382,282 rooms to open globally in 2027, the first time a forecast has been issued for that year.
HAMA is accepting submissions for its 20th annual student case competition.
The cases reflect a scenario HAMA members faced as owner representatives.
Teams must submit a financial analysis, solution and executive summary.
THE HOSPITALITY ASSET Managers Association is accepting submissions for the 20th Annual HAMA Student Case Competition, in which more than 60 students analyze a management company change scenario and provide recommendations. HAMA, HotStats and Lodging Analytics Research & Consulting are providing the case, based on a scenario HAMA members faced as owner representatives.
Student teams must prepare a financial analysis, a recommended solution and an executive summary for board review, HAMA said in a statement.
“Each year, the education committee looks forward to the solutions that the next generation of hotel asset managers bring, applying their own experiences to issues in ways that reveal new directions,” said Adam Tegge, HAMA Education Committee chair. “This competition demonstrates that the future of hotel asset management is in good hands.”
The two winning teams will each receive a $5,000 prize and an invitation to the spring 2026 HAMA conference in Washington, D.C. HAMA will cover travel and lodging.
Twenty industry executives on the HAMA education committee will evaluate submissions based on presentation quality, the statement said. HAMA mentors volunteer from September through November to assist teams seeking feedback and additional information. Schools will select finalists by Jan. 15, with graduate and undergraduate teams reviewed separately.
The competition has addressed topics in operating and owning hospitality assets and HAMA consulted university professors to update the format for situations students may encounter after graduation, the statement said.
This year’s participants include University of Denver, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Boston University, Florida International University, Michigan State University, Columbia University, Morgan State University, Howard University, New York University and Penn State University.
Stonebridge Cos. added the Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton, to its managed portfolio.
The hotel, opened in 1956 and relaunched in 2017, is owned by Centurion American Development Group.
The property is near Main Street Garden Park, the Arts District and the Dallas World Aquarium.
STONEBRIDGE COS. HAS contracted to manage the Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton in Dallas to its managed portfolio. The hotel, opened in 1956 and relaunched in 2017, is owned by Centurion American Development Group, led by Mehrdad Moayedi.
It has an outdoor pool and more than 26,000 square feet of meeting space, Stonebridge said in a statement. The downtown Dallas property is near Main Street Garden Park, the Arts District, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Deep Ellum, Klyde Warren Park, and the Dallas World Aquarium.
“The Statler is an extraordinary asset with a storied history in Dallas, and we are thrilled to welcome it to our managed portfolio,” said Rob Smith, Stonebridge’s president and CEO. “Its blend of modern hospitality with timeless character makes it a natural fit within our lifestyle collection. We look forward to honoring the property’s legacy while enhancing performance and delivering an elevated guest experience.”
Stonebridge, based in Denver, is a privately held hotel management company founded by Chairman Navin Dimond and led by Smith. The company recently added the 244-room Marriott Saddle Brook in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, to its full-service portfolio.