Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Greene named full-time president, CEO for AAHOA

He has filled the position on an interim basis since his predecessor’s sudden departure in June

Greene named full-time president, CEO for AAHOA

KEN GREENE HAS been named as the new president and CEO of AAHOA. He has served in an interim capacity in the position since June.

Greene, who previously started a consulting firm after serving as Radisson Hotel Group president for the Americas, was selected to fill the president and CEO position by a unanimous vote by the AAHOA board of directors, according to a statement. He was selected for the interim position after the former president and CEO, Cecil Staton, suddenly resigned in June.


“AAHOA has been a part of my life for years, so when the opportunity came up to become Interim President and CEO, it was an easy decision to make,” Greene said. “These last few months have exceeded my expectations, and I’m looking forward to continuing to build relationships with our officers, board, members, and industry partners.”

During his interim period in August, Greene helped oversee the 2021 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show in Dallas, which marked the association’s return to in-person events after a year of restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. The convention, which drew more than 6,000 attendees, was the first such event in the city since the start of the pandemic.

“As a former brand executive in the hospitality industry, Ken has significant experience working with AAHOA members and a solid understanding of what hoteliers need,” said Vinay Patel, AAHOA’s chairman. “He knows what drives our members and how our association can assist them as the industry recovers.”

Prior to his time at Radisson, Greene also served as president and CEO for Delta Hotels and Resorts, and in various roles at Cendant Corp. and Wyndham Worldwide. He recently founded Greenehouse Consulting, which focuses on acquisitions, management, and advisory services to the hospitality industry.

Still no explanation has been offered for Staton’s departure. On the same day that Staton’s resignation was announced, AAHOA also said that Rachel Humphrey, the association’s executive vice president and COO, would be resigning the day after the convention in Dallas finished.

Humphrey also once held the position of interim president and CEO after the departure of former AAHOA President and CEO Chip Rogers.

Several AAHOA members came forward after news of Staton and Humphrey’s departure broke to say the resignations signaled a welcome change. They said the association has strayed from its original mission of defending hotel owners against exploitation and failed to follow its own bylaws.

More for you

ExStay Washington DC

Third regional ExStay workshop set for D.C.

Summary:

  • ESLA and Kalibri will hold the third ExStay workshop on July 30 in Washington, D.C., following sessions in Atlanta and Dallas.
  • The event will feature experts from brands, operators, data firms and advisory groups.
  • Sessions will cover investment and include Q&As on developing, renovating, converting and operating extended stay assets.

THE EXTENDED STAY Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs will host the third quarterly ExStay workshop on July 30 in Washington, D.C., following earlier sessions in Atlanta and Dallas. The event will bring together extended stay lodging executives for networking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Deloitte value-seeking report 2025

Study: Consumers seek value over low prices

Summary:

  • Consumers are prioritizing value over low prices, pushing brands—including hotels—to adapt, Deloitte finds.
  • Economic uncertainty and inflation are driving caution and shifting views on pricing and spending.
  • Value-seeking by generations: 49 percent of Gen X, 43 percent of Boomers, 40 percent of Millennials and 44 percent of Gen Z.

AMID ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY and inflation, U.S. consumers are prioritizing value over low prices, favoring brands with added benefits, according to a Deloitte study. This shift is reshaping the market as companies, including hotels, adapt to changing expectations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Red Roof partners with FreedomPay to streamline payments in 700+ U.S. hotels
Photo credit: Red Roof

Red Roof taps FreedomPay for 700+ hotels

Summary:

  • Red Roof is contracting with FreedomPay to provide payments across its 700+ U.S. hotels.
  • The company will gain an integrated solution, improved service, cost savings and efficiency.
  • The company is investing in people and technology to advance the brand, president Zack Gharib told Asian Hospitality.

RED ROOF IS contracting with FreedomPay to provide payments across its portfolio of more than 700 hotels in the U.S. The company will receive an integrated payment solution, upgraded service, cost savings and operational efficiency, according to a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gen Z Shifts Hotel Shopping: Tech, Experiences & Values

Survey: Gen Z redefines hotel shopping

Summary:

  • Younger consumers are redefining hotel discovery through platform-hopping and peer input, according to SOCi.
  • Fragmented search and discovery are reshaping how trust is built.
  • About one-third of consumers aged 18–34 report less brand loyalty than a year ago.

GEN Z IS RESHAPING hotel shopping through multiple platforms, peer input and real-time research, according to SOCi, a marketing platform for multi-location businesses. Unlike previous generations who relied on a single search engine or map app, the younger consumer moves through a series of smaller decisions - starting on TikTok, checking Reddit or Yelp and ending with a Google Maps search.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hotel Tech Advances; Outpaces Operational Readiness

Report: Tech outpaces readiness in hotels

  • A gap is growing between technological potential and operational readiness, with many hotel teams still early in AI use.
  • Distribution teams are evolving with limited resources and uneven investment in talent and automation.
  • The report outlines how commercial teams in hospitality are managing transformation.

THERE IS A widening gap between technological potential and operational readiness, with many hotel staff still early in using AI effectively, according to “The State of Distribution 2025” report. Despite the availability of technology, training, systems and workflows remain in development.

The second edition of the industry benchmark report—published by NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality and its Hospitality Innovation Hub, in collaboration with RateGain Travel Technologies and HEDNA—noted that as traveler expectations rise, aligning people, processes and platforms is becoming a driver of performance.

Keep ReadingShow less