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 senior 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.
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL IS withdrawing its support for AAHOA in opposition to the association’s 12 Points of Fair Franchising, according to an alert to AAHOA members. Indications of the split began in July, when a letter to this effect was circulated but not confirmed, and AAHOA said its efforts to make the situation right in the meantime have failed.
The AAHOA member alert also said Marriott had expressed opposition to AAHOA’s support for legislation proposed last year in the New Jersey legislature that would strengthen protections for franchise businesses in the state, including hotels. In its alert, attributed to Neal Patel, chairman of AAHOA, said most hotel franchisers did not take issue with the association’s support for the New Jersey legislation nor the 12 Points.
“Many of our other hotel brand partners have taken an open-minded and collaborative approach to fair franchising. We appreciate their willingness to work together to ensure better outcomes for AAHOA members, the industry, and hotel customers,” Patel said. “However, we wanted to inform you that Marriott International – one of our longtime brand partners – has decided to take a different position.”
Marriott expressed its concerns in a phone call with AAHOA officials in early December, Patel said.
“We emphasized that AAHOA and Marriott have more in common than in conflict, and both support many issues at the federal, state, and local level to propel the hotel industry forward,” Patel said in the alert. “Marriott nevertheless stated that it would no longer support AAHOA or attend AAHOACON23 in Los Angeles, April 11 to 14, if AAHOA continued to support the New Jersey fair franchising legislation.”
A Marriott spokesperson released the following statement.
“We remain committed to owners and franchisees in the Asian American community and believe our relationship with our owners and franchisees is best managed directly, rather than through a third-party organization with whom our objectives no longer align.”
The letter circulated in July gave more detail, though it was not confirmed as coming from Marriott.
“Ultimately, Marriott cannot support, either by endorsement and/or financially, any organization that is in direct opposition to our business model and interests,” said the letter. “We believe quite strongly that the longstanding relationship between Marriott and AAHOA has proven to be mutually beneficial, and we are deeply saddened that AAHOA has chosen to pivot its stance on these key issues in a way that is decidedly anti-franchising and anti-Marriott (especially since, as the AAHOA leadership shared with us in a recent meeting, neither AAHOA’s leaders nor its members have any material issues with Marriott’s approach to franchising or to our franchisees).”
Support for New Jersey legislation
In its negotiations with Marriott, AAHOA’s statement said it emphasized that it was not the author of New Jersey Assembly Bill A1958, which would make changes to the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act. However, it supports four points of the bill that provide:
AAHOA members, such as local hotelier and ambassador for the Mid-Atlantic region Rajesh Patel, at table, came before the New Jersey State Assembly on May 12 to support Assembly Bill 1958, which would make changes to the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act that could benefit hotel owners. Marriott listed AAHOA’s support for the legislation among its reasons for separating from the association.
If a franchiser or brand partner receives commissions or rebates from a vendor based on purchases by franchisees, that must be fully disclosed and turned over to the franchisees and the franchise system.
AAHOA will not object to vendor exclusivity so long as the vendor provides these mandated products and services to Franchisees for competitive pricing.
AAHOA will not support the selling of loyalty points by a brand partner or franchiser for a profit.
AAHOA will not support franchise fees being added that were not previously disclosed in the franchise disclosure document without prior approval.
AAHOA supports the preference of certified women-owned, minority-owned and veteran-owned businesses to serve as the mandated and preferred vendors for the franchise business model.
The legislation embodies the basic reasons why AAHOA has supported fair franchising since 1998, said Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA president and CEO.
“By creating and promoting fair standards, hotel owners can compete in a landscape that has largely been reshaped in recent years by the pandemic and the short-term app-based home rental options. Fair franchising also supports the sustainability of the entire franchise system model long into the future,” Blake said.
“[Marriott’s] stance appears to remain the same even after numerous discussions and offers to work together to draft possible amendments to the New Jersey legislation, and to address the unfair policies and practices that are driving the bill,” Blake said.
Prakash Shah, president of the Fair Franchising Initiative, a hotelier advocacy group founded in 2020 with its roots in New Jersey, said Marriott’s decision to withdraw from AAHOA is indicative of a larger problem.
“As we have known, the hotel franchising model is badly in need of repair. With online travel agencies generating so much of business and taking such a big chunk of revenue away, precious little is left for the franchisees to make ends meet,” Shah said. “Franchisers really need to work with AAHOA and others to evolve a fairer more workable relationship looking towards our mutual benefit and future. It is regrettable that the industry lacks the foresight and forward-looking Leadership at this critical juncture!’
The India connection
Blake also questioned why Marriott was “pushing back” against AAHOA’s efforts in the U.S. while seeking to expand its presence in India, the country of origin for most AAHOA members.
Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA president and CEO, questions why Marriott is pushing back against the association in the U.S. while seeking to expand in India, the country of origin to most AAHOA members.
“Specifically, Marriott has now announced that it is planning to develop an additional 200 hotels by 2025. Marriott’s travel program, Marriott Bonvoy, is also spending a noteworthy sum on marketing by sponsoring the cricket team Mumbai Indians,” Blake said. “This all raises questions as to why Marriott is showcasing such strong financial and marketing support in India, but yet significantly pulling back here in the U.S. where our AAHOA members own more than 50 percent of all Marriott hotels and constitute a large majority of the developers in the pipeline that are ready to build Marriotts in the States. We are surprised that Marriott’s investors have not started asking questions. Only Marriott has the answers. But the incongruency raises concerns as to whether AAHOA hoteliers should continue their own strong support of brands that do not do likewise.”
Support from other brands
Over the past two months, several other companies have met with AAHOA regarding the 12 Points of Fair Franchising and agreed to implement them. They include Red Roof, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and G6 Hospitality. Other companies have not yet done so, and some have faced lawsuits from AAHOA members over their franchising practices.
In 2020, several hotel owners, many of whom were AAHOA members, sued Choice Hotels International. The lawsuit claimed, among other things, that the company engaged in racketeering by colluding with product vendors from which the company receives kickbacks and charged unreasonable fees.
In a statement, Choice said it remained supportive of AAHOA.
“Our franchisees are at the center of everything we do,” the company said. “Choice Hotels is a founding member of AAHOA. We look forward to continuing our dialogue with AAHOA.”
In 2021, several AAHOA members joined a lawsuit against IHG Hotels & Resorts making similar accusations. An IHG spokes person said the company was aware of situation between Marriott and AAHOA but had no further comment at this time.
Patel said AAHOA would continue its operations despite Marriott’s withdrawal, and it still held out hope for a resolution to the impasse.
“We are disappointed that Marriott has decided to take this position. But, AAHOA leadership will continue to maintain and offer open lines of communication to find a resolution that is in the best interests of our members and the hotel industry,” Patel said. “Even without Marriott in attendance at AAHOACON23, we look forward to convening in April to celebrate the great advances we have made, network with each other and our loyal industry partners, and discuss the many pressing issues facing our industry.”
Marriott launches Outdoor Collection and Bonvoy Outdoors platform.
First two brands are Postcard Cabins and Trailborn Hotels.
Platform features 450+ hotels, 50,000 homes and activities.
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL RECENTLY launched the brand “Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy” and introduced “Marriott Bonvoy Outdoors,” a digital platform that lets travelers plan trips by destination or activity. The first two brands in the Outdoor Collection are Postcard Cabins and Trailborn Hotels.
Outdoor Collection offers stays such as cabins near national parks and hotels on cliffs, providing access to nature along with basic guest needs, including beds, running water and restrooms, Marriott said in a statement.
The Marriott Bonvoy Outdoors platform includes 450 hotels, 50,000 homes and villas, and tours and activities, the statement said. Postcard Cabins has 1,200 cabins across 29 U.S. locations within two hours of major cities and Trailborn Hotels offers properties in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Grand Canyon, and Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
“We built Marriott Bonvoy Outdoors to help people, whether that’s cresting a mountain trail, catching the perfect wave, or simply finding quiet under the stars,” said Peggy Roe, Marriott's executive vice president and chief customer officer. “Travel is at its best when it speaks to who we are and what we love. It’s about reconnecting with yourself and the people you love in the places that inspire you most. With the new Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy, our curated Marriott Bonvoy Moments and activations like the Drop Pin Challenge with Dylan Efron, we’re not just offering places to stay, we’re opening doors to experiences that inspire, connect and stay with you forever.”
Marriott Bonvoy partnered with Dylan Efron on the Drop Pin Challenge, a treasure hunt across 20 U.S. and Canadian locations with 10 million points at stake. Travelers can visit marriottbonvoyoutdoors.com for rules and locations and the first 50 eligible participants to scan each pin earn 10,000 points. The platform is also partnering with Outside Interactive to offer Marriott Bonvoy Moments that connect guests with nature and activities.
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Peachtree adds six hotels to third-party platform.
Five are owned by La Posada Group, one by Decatur Properties.
Third-party portfolio totals 42 hotels.
PEACHTREE GROUP’S HOSPITALITY management division added six hotels to its third-party management platform. Five are owned by La Posada Group LLC and one by Decatur Properties Holdings.
La Posada’s hotels include Fairfield Inn Evansville East in Evansville, Indiana; Fairfield Inn Las Cruces and TownePlace Suites Las Cruces in Las Cruces, New Mexico; and SpringHill Suites Lawrence Downtown and TownePlace Suites Kansas City Overland Park in Kansas, Peachtree said in a statement.
It also assumed management of Decatur Properties’ Hampton Inn in Monahans, Texas.
“Our third-party management business is experiencing growth and these six hotels demonstrate the trust owners are placing in our team,” said Vickie Callahan, president of Peachtree’s hospitality management division. “We have experience managing hotels and managing operations for partners who have entrusted us with their assets. We are committed to protecting asset value, driving results for partners and delivering a strong guest experience.”
The division manages hotels across brands and markets nationwide, the statement said. It operates 115 hotels across 29 brands with 14,212 rooms in 27 states and Washington, D.C. The additions bring its total third-party operations to 42 hotels.
Callahan said the team uses scale, operating systems and brand relationships to optimize revenue, control costs and improve guest satisfaction.
Atlanta-based Peachtree is led by Greg Friedman, managing principal and CEO; Jatin Desai, managing principal and CFO and Mitul Patel, principal.
The Highland Group: Extended-stay occupancy, RevPAR and ADR declined in August.
Room revenue rose 0.4 percent, while demand increased 2.2 percent.
August marked the second time in 47 months that supply growth exceeded 4 percent.
U.S. EXTENDED-STAY OCCUPANCY fell 2.1 percent in August, its eighth consecutive monthly decline, while ADR declined 1.8 percent and RevPAR dropped 3.9 percent for the fifth consecutive month, according to The Highland Group. However, total extended-stay room revenue rose 0.4 percent year over year.
The Highland Group’s “US Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin: August 2025” noted that summer leisure travel has a greater impact on the overall hotel industry than on extended-stay hotels.
“August’s performance metrics further indicated that economy extended-stay hotels are weathering the hotel industry downturn better than most hotel classes, especially at lower price points,” said Mark Skinner, The Highland Group partner.
The 2.1 percent drop in extended-stay hotel occupancy in August was the eighth straight month of decline, the report said. Occupancy declined more than the 1.3 percent drop STR/CoStar reported for all hotels. However, extended-stay occupancy was 11.3 percentage points higher than the overall hotel industry, consistent with long-term late-summer trends.
The 1.8 percent decline in extended-stay ADR was partly due to a larger share of economy supply in August 2025 versus August 2024, the report said. Economy extended-stay ADR fell for the first time since May 2024 but outperformed the 3.4 percent drop for all economy hotels reported by STR/CoStar. Mid-price extended-stay ADR also declined, while upscale extended-stay ADR fell more than upscale hotels overall.
RevPAR fell 3.9 percent in August, the fifth straight monthly decline and the largest in 2025. The overall drop was greater than individual segment decreases because economy supply made up a larger share than in August 2024. STR/CoStar reported RevPAR declines of 5.7 percent for economy, 2.6 percent for mid-price and 2 percent for upscale hotels.
Revenue, demand and supply trends
Extended-stay room revenue rose 0.4 percent in August from a year earlier, The Highland Group said. STR/CoStar reported overall hotel revenue fell 0.1 percent and excluding luxury and upper-upscale segments, revenue fell 2 percent. STR/CoStar also reported August room revenue declines of 6.4 percent for economy hotels, 1.4 percent for midscale and 0.7 percent for upscale compared to August 2024.
Extended-stay demand rose 2.2 percent in August, the second-largest monthly increase in seven months. STR/CoStar reported total hotel demand fell 0.4 percent. Adjusting for the extra day in February 2024, extended-stay demand has grown in 32 of the past 33 months.
August was the second time in 47 months that supply growth exceeded 4 percent, the report said. Supply has risen about 3 percent year to date. Annual supply growth ranged from 1.8 to 3.1 percent over the past three years, below the long-term 4.9 percent average.
The 8 percent rise in economy extended-stay supply, with minimal change in mid-price and upscale rooms, is mainly due to conversions, as new economy construction accounts for about 3–4 percent of rooms compared to a year ago.
The Highland Group reported that economy, mid-price and upscale extended-stay segments led first-quarter 2025 RevPAR growth over their class counterparts. The report noted 602,980 extended-stay rooms at quarter-end, a net gain of 17,588 rooms over the past year, the largest in three years.
AHLA Foundation distributed $710,000 in scholarships to 246 students.
Nearly 90 percent of recipients come from underrepresented communities.
The foundation funds students pursuing education and careers in the lodging sector.
AHLA FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED $710,000 in academic scholarships to 246 students at 64 schools nationwide for the 2025–2026 academic year. Nearly 90 percent of recipients are from underrepresented communities, reflecting the foundation’s focus on expanding access to hospitality careers.
The foundation awards academic scholarships annually to students in hospitality management and related programs, it said in a statement.
“Our scholarship program is helping ensure the next generation of talent has the resources to pursue careers in the hospitality industry,” said Kevin Carey, AHLA Foundation's president and CEO. “We’ve invested millions of dollars over the last several decades to recruit and support future leaders who will strengthen our industry.”
It provides funding to help students pursue education and careers in the lodging sector, the statement said. Award decisions are based on applicants’ academic performance, extracurricular involvement, recommendations and financial need.
In September, AHLA Foundation, the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education and the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration announced plans to expand education opportunities for hospitality students. The alliance aim to provide data, faculty development and student engagement opportunities.
The U.S. government shut down at midnight after Congress failed to agree on funding.
About 750,000 federal employees will be furloughed daily, costing $400 million.
Key immigration and labor programs are halted.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT shut down at midnight after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on funding. Disputes over healthcare subsidies and spending priorities left both sides unwilling to accept responsibility.
The shutdown could cost America’s travel economy $1 billion a week, the U.S. Travel Association said previously. It will disrupt federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration and hurt the travel economy, USTA CEO Geoff Freeman wrote in a Sept. 25 letter to Congress.
“A shutdown is a wholly preventable blow to America’s travel economy—costing $1 billion each week—and affecting millions of travelers and businesses while straining an already overextended federal travel workforce,” Freeman said. “While Congress recently provided a $12.5 billion down payment to modernize our nation’s air travel system and improve safety and efficiency, this modernization will stop in the event of a shutdown.”
USTA said that halting air traffic controller hiring and training would worsen a nationwide shortage of more than 2,800 controllers and further strain the air travel system.
About 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed each day at a cost of about $400 million, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Essential services to protect life and property remain operational, CNN reported. The Department of Education said most of its staff will be furloughed, while the Department of Homeland Security will continue much of its work. Agencies released contingency plans before the deadline.
Immigration services are directly affected. Most U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services operations continue because they are fee funded, but programs relying on appropriations—such as E-Verify, the Conrad 30 J-1 physician program and the special immigrant religious worker program—are suspended. Houston law firm Reddy Neumann Brown said employers must manually verify I-9 documents if E-Verify goes offline, though USCIS has historically extended compliance deadlines.
The Department of Labor will halt its Office of Foreign Labor Certification, freezing labor condition applications for H-1B visas, PERM applications and prevailing wage determinations, India’s Business Standard reported. Its FLAG system and related websites will also go offline. Immigration lawyers warn of ripple effects, since USCIS depends on DOL data. The Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals and administrative law dockets will also pause.
Visa and passport services at U.S. consulates generally continue because they are fee funded. If revenue falls short at a post, services may be limited to emergencies and diplomatic needs.
Reuters reported that the disruption could delay the September jobs report, slow air travel, suspend scientific research, withhold pay from active-duty U.S. troops and disrupt other government operations. The funding standoff involves $1.7 trillion in discretionary agency spending—about one-quarter of the $7 trillion federal budget, according to Reuters. Most of the rest goes to health programs, retirement benefits and interest on the $37.5 trillion national debt.
According to The New York Times, unlike previous shutdowns, Trump is threatening long-term changes to the government if Democrats do not concede to demands, including firing workers and permanently cutting programs they support.