Leveraging AAHOA’s vendor relationships
By Nick Fortuna
When it comes to securing the best deals for members, size matters, and among industry associations, AAHOA is recognized as a power player. With a membership of almost 20,000 hoteliers representing more than half of all U.S. hotels, AAHOA gives members access to trusted vendors and pools their purchasing power to maximize savings.
“I’ve found that AAHOA is the epitome of the word ‘networking’ because it gives members the opportunity to meet just about every type of vendor that they need to run their hotels,” said Kevin Sloan, who sits on the AAHOA Board of Directors as an Industry Partner. Sloan is the managing partner of New Orleans-based Gauthier Murphy & Houghtaling, a law firm that helps clients process property-damage insurance claims. At events such as AAHOACON, members can meet a wide array of vendors and get detailed answers to their questions, and since word of mouth travels fast, vendors have every incentive to give AAHOA Members the white-glove treatment, he said.
“I can’t think of a better organization in terms of access to vendors and partnership opportunities than AAHOA,” Sloan said.
Faheem Khan, executive director of Chase merchant services, which handles credit-card processing for hoteliers, said the combined purchasing power of AAHOA saves members money.
Many vendors charge businesses according to their transaction volume, placing small businesses at a disadvantage. But with Chase, all AAHOA Members get the same pricing structure because the association has pooled its bargaining power, Khan said. In addition, members can opt out of their contracts with 30 days’ notice, whereas many credit-card processors lock clients into three-year contracts.
“It’s based on AAHOA’s pooled volume, so it benefits all members,” Khan said. “There also aren’t going to be any nuisance charges that are common in this industry, such as setup fees, chargeback fees, monthly fees, or annual fees – you name it.”
By attending AAHOA events, members can learn about vendors that they might not know they need. For example, many hoteliers are overcharged by property-tax appraisers, who lack industry knowledge and fail to exclude intangible assets from valuations, according to Abraham Tieh, director of national commercial property tax for Houston-based O’Connor & Associates.
By appealing high tax appraisals – first to the appraiser’s office and then to state trial court or tax court, if necessary – hoteliers often can lower their tax bills, said Tieh, who serves on the AAHOA Board of Directors as an Industry Partner.
“Hotels historically have been way over-assessed and have been overpaying their property taxes,” he said. “You have nothing to lose by filing a protest every year.”
DISH Business is another AAHOA Industry Partner, offering members discounts and flexible financing options on entertainment and connectivity solutions, according to Pulkit Bhatnagar, the company’s head of strategic alliances. He said DISH works with the AAHOA Board of Directors to understand the incentives that matter most to hotel owners.
“AAHOA Members should feel confident in choosing vendors that invest in this organization because those partnerships are built on a commitment to their success,” Bhatnagar said. “By prioritizing AAHOA vendors like DISH Business, hoteliers gain trusted partners who not only deliver the best technology at the best value but also help them find innovative ways to improve profitability and long-term growth.”
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