Cover Story
Center Stage
At the 2026 HerOwnership Conference, women own their voices By Jodi Scott & Cathleen Draper Nashville is known for great music and big talent, but in September, it also served as the backdrop for AAHOA’s fifth annual HerOwnership Conference. Held September 27-28, the conference brought together women hotel owners and hospitality leaders from across the country to learn, connect, and share what it takes to build a successful hospitality business. “Being in Nashville, it was hard not to think about Dolly Parton and the example…
Featured
Show Up, Speak Up, Take Action
Mentorship builds confidence in and opens doors for the next generation of women leaders By Cathleen Draper Although women represent more than half of the U.S. hospitality workforce – 52 percent, to be exact – less than 29 percent of executive positions are held by women, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Diversity Survey. That…
On the Shoulders of Giants
Simi Shah’s platform, South Asian Trailblazers, is founded on the idea of learning from those who came before By A.D. Thompson On paper, Simi Shah seems pretty close to perfect. Harvard. Wharton. Forbes’ 30 Under 30. She is a natural-born entrepreneur, as balanced as they come – a master of business mechanisms with a creative streak that…
A Seat at the Table
Curiosity, expertise, and a circle of advisers help women reach the height of hospitality By Cathleen Draper Dee Patel got her start in hotels as a hospitality student in Charleston, SC. She stepped into a role at a hotel and fell in love – with the rhythm, the pace, the people, the energy. At the time, she…
Columns
Hospitality’s Hidden Workforce Challenge
Investing in childcare benefits is an investment in your business By Molly Day Hotel owners know what workforce instability costs. A front-desk employee calls at 6 a.m. to say she’s not coming in, and the manager spends the morning covering the desk herself. A housekeeper who’s cleaned the same rooms for six years quietly cuts…
Opening More Doors
How independent hoteliers can create more opportunities for women in hospitality By Aaryan Patel Hospitality has always been a people business. Our industry depends on individuals who can lead teams, solve problems, understand guests, control costs, manage assets, and make decisions under pressure. Those abilities are not limited by gender, background, or generation. The challenge…
Take the Seat, then Make More Room
Lessons from women leaders on elevating women in hospitality By Jill Sharp Tollison & Kristi Mattson Jill Sharp Tollison and Kristi Mattson are often asked what it’s like to be a woman in the hospitality industry. Their answer has less to do with how far they’ve come than with how much opportunity still lies ahead.…
Honoring Mehul Patel
Alabama hotel owner remembered for his kindness and connection By Cathleen Draper As Mehul (Mike) Patel was driving to meet friends in downtown Mobile, AL, on Saturday, October 10, he came across a driver trapped in an overturned car that had lost control and struck a guardrail. Mehul stopped his own vehicle on the highway…
Moving the Needle
What it actually takes to advance women in hospitality By Priya Jariwala You promoted your front desk supervisor last fall. She was your best, but six months in, she is gone. She said it was the hours – you suspect it was more than that. In hospitality, women fill the majority of front-line roles. They…