ATLANTA – The new chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) is a partner at BHP Investments Co. and owns and operates multiple properties in Texas, so he knows the pain felt by AAHOA members over recent months. With the AAHOA virtual conference set to begin on Aug. 11, HX: The News had a chance to chat with Patel about his level of optimism during these challenging times for the hospitality industry.
HX: The News: As some hotels, lodges, and resorts begin to open their businesses to varying degrees, what are you hearing from AAHOA members?
Biran Patel, AAHOA chairman: AAHOA represents nearly 20,000 hotel owners across the nation. The data from STR and CBRE, as well as anecdotal accounts from members, show that occupancy rates vary greatly depending on how COVID-19 is affecting a region. We are hearing that owners are incredibly diligent in adopting new sanitation and cleaning protocols for their properties. Their first concern is the safety and health of their guests and employees. Owners are eager to host guests, get employees back to work, and get their businesses back up and running.
HX: The News: Are AAHOA members optimistic, pessimistic, or somewhere in between?
Patel: I think they are somewhere in between. We know that travel will resume—eventually. The challenge is getting through the pandemic and emerging on the other side when people begin traveling again. The pandemic is the greatest challenge ever to face our industry, but we are a resilient industry and will survive.
HX: The News: How would you characterize the financial impact to the hospitality industry over the last few months?
Patel: As a signal industry, hoteliers felt the impact of the pandemic from its onset as people stopped traveling and meetings and conventions were canceled. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a crippling effect on the hospitality industry. With occupancy rates and revenues down sharply, hotel owners are taking a real hit.
HX: The News: Unfortunately, many meetings and events are not able to be held in-person because of the virus. Some, such as AAHOA’s 2020 Convention & Trade show, are moving forward as virtual events. With that in mind, how do you view the relevance of in-person trade shows in 2020 and beyond?
Patel: Hospitality is a people-oriented business. It is the personal touch that defines the industry. While virtual meetings are filling the void out of necessity, there is nothing quite like doing business face-to-face.
Ultimately, the successful development and administration of a vaccine will help things get back to normal. Until that time, we may see trade shows return in a limited fashion as prospective attendees gain more confidence in efforts to mitigate virus transmission. As more organizations successfully apply safety protocols to in-person events that yield no instances of transmission, such as at the recent 300-person meeting held by the Georgia Motor Trucking Association in mid-June, I think we’ll see a template be developed and applied more broadly as meetings and events begin to scale back up.
HX: The News: What is your level of optimism for the hospitality industry in the short and long term?
Patel: I am optimistic about our industry, both in the short and long term. Congress is moving in the right direction and listening to our advocacy efforts to address the liquidity crisis facing hoteliers, but we need more. Our industry is united like never before.
Despite the hardship this crisis poses, travel will return. It will probably start with people driving to destinations rather than flying. This would mean that more domestic travelers visit destinations closer to home but far enough away that they’ll need a place to stay. As to when that happens, it all comes down to people’s comfort level.
Check out additional comments from Biran Patel on Youtube, as interviewed by Glenn Haussman, host of the No Vacancy podcast, and a contributor to HX: The News.