- Mit Shah, Noble founder and CEO, received the 2026 Sorenson Award.
- AHLA and AHLA Foundation announced award winners on Jan. 25.
- The gala raised $1.1 million for AHLA Foundation programs.
Mit Shah, founder and CEO of Noble Investment Group, received the 2026 Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award at the eighth annual Night of a Thousand Stars Gala on Jan. 25 in Los Angeles. The American Hotel & Lodging Association and the AHLA Foundation also announced the 2026 Star of the Industry Award winners at the event.
The event brought together nearly 400 industry leaders to recognize four property-level employees and emerging leaders and to raise funds for hospitality workforce development, AHLA Foundation said in a statement. The gala raised more than $1.1 million to support AHLA Foundation programs, including scholarships, apprenticeships, mentorship and professional development for hotel employees.
“Night of a Thousand Stars is about celebrating the people who are the backbone of our industry,” said Kevin Carey, AHLA Foundation president and CEO. “These awards recognize the dedication of our frontline teams, and the funds we raise support our mission of championing the hotel industry, one career at a time and helping employees find their home in hospitality at every stage of their journey.”
Established in 2022, the Arne Sorenson Award honors the legacy of the late Marriott International president and CEO and recognizes senior lodging executives for leadership in social impact, diversity, sustainability and community engagement. Recipients are selected by industry peers on the AHLA Executive Committee.
Rosanna Maietta, AHLA president and CEO, said Mit has been a champion of access and opportunity in hospitality.
“He understands that our industry is strongest when it reflects the communities we serve and he's committed his career to making that vision a reality,” she said.
The 2026 Star of the Industry Award recipients include Anntoinette Peterson, club guest services agent at the InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center in Cleveland, who received the North Star Award for Lodging Employee of the Year. Brandon Markle, general manager of the Courtyard Marriott in Lansing, Michigan, received the Stevan Porter Emerging Hospitality Leader of the Year Award.
Daniel De La Cruz, a maintenance team member at the Ramada by Wyndham in Santa Barbara, California, received the Hotel Hero Award. Jazmen Wilkerson, a hospitality management student at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, received the AHLA Foundation Scholar of the Year Award.
The Star of the Industry Awards recognize individuals in the hotel industry for contributions to guest service, leadership, crisis response and hospitality education.
AHLA named Liam Brown, Marriott International group president for U.S. and Canada, as chair for 2026, while the AHLA Foundation reappointed Anu Saxena, Hilton Supply Management president, as chair for a second term.
