Due to the assist of our wonderful members, 2024 was a banner yr for advocacy on the American Lodge & Lodging Affiliation (AHLA).
Throughout the nation and in any respect ranges of presidency, we achieved a powerful array of coverage victories this yr. Listed below are a number of the highlights of what we’ve achieved:
Federal Advocacy Victories
On the federal degree in 2024, AHLA
- Protected franchisees and the resort enterprise mannequin by efficiently suing the Nationwide Labor Relations Board to strike down its joint-employer rule;
- Led a coalition that efficiently sued the Division of Labor concerning its time beyond regulation rule, which threatened to impose increased labor prices on hoteliers throughout the nation beginning in 2025;
- Efficiently lobbied for vital will increase to federal worker per diem charges for lodging and meals bills, together with a lodging fee enhance estimated to be price greater than $86 million to hoteliers;
- Helped safe congressional authorization for the Division of Homeland Safety to double the variety of out there H-2B visas for fiscal yr 2024;
- Facilitated the bicameral introduction of human trafficking prevention laws—the HOTEL ACT, H.R. 9681—which enhances AHLA Basis’s No Room for Trafficking program; and
- Secured passage of the No Hidden FEES Act within the Home of Representatives, a invoice that will create a complete single commonplace for clear and necessary payment shows throughout the lodging trade.
State and Native Advocacy Victories
On the state and native degree in 2024, AHLA
- Launched an intense lobbying and media marketing campaign in New York Metropolis that resulted in vital enhancements to a invoice that will have prompted huge financial hurt to the town’s resort trade and economic system;
- Helped cross laws in Hawaii to rein in unlawful short-term leases, which had been unfairly competing in opposition to motels and making housing unaffordable for native residents;
- Stopped flawed laws in New Jersey that will have wrecked the resort franchise mannequin within the Backyard State;
- Defeated onerous tax insurance policies in a number of cities and states, together with an actual property switch tax in Chicago and a transient tax in Utah;
- Expanded a worldwide alliance of nationwide hospitality associations to impression coverage traits and higher assist AHLA international membership; and
- Expanded its state and native political program by almost 40 p.c yr over yr.
Priorities Transferring Ahead
Voters throughout the nation this yr ushered in a extra business-friendly atmosphere in most jurisdictions, and Republicans received the presidency in addition to the U.S. Home and Senate. This may change the political panorama in 2025, however AHLA’s advocacy strategy stays the identical irrespective of who’s in workplace. We’ll defend hoteliers’ backside strains by working to take care of an atmosphere during which resort professionals can deal with operating and rising their enterprise fairly than coping with onerous legal guidelines and dangerous insurance policies.
Meaning supporting business-friendly tax charges and insurance policies to increase the workforce, combating regulatory overreach, defending the resort franchise mannequin from authorities interference, and guaranteeing a degree enjoying discipline for motels and short-term leases. Particular priorities AHLA is pursuing now and into 2025 embrace
- Extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, greater than $4 trillion in tax provisions that can have an effect on hoteliers’ backside strains;
- Rising the resort workforce by increasing the variety of H-2B visas by way of payments just like the Closing the Workforce Hole Act (H.R. 7262);
- Passing laws just like the Lodge Charges Transparency Act within the Senate and the Home-passed No Hidden FEES Act, each of which might create a nationwide commonplace for lodging price transparency throughout all the trade; and
- Opposing draconian state and native makes an attempt to focus on motels with economically damaging operational mandates and pink tape.
We’re highly effective when hoteliers converse with one voice, and AHLA is proud to signify you as we work with lawmakers in each events to notch extra victories for our nice trade in 2025 and past. Thanks in your assist.
