By Laura Lee Blake, ESQ., AAHOA President & CEO
When Abraham Lincoln delivered his first inaugural address in March of 1861, the United States stood at a crossroads so severe that many doubted the nation would survive it. He did not minimize what lay ahead. He did not pretend the road would be easy. But he called the American people forward with a conviction that the bonds holding them together were stronger than the forces pulling them apart.
I think of that address often when I consider what AAHOA and its members have been asked to endure over the past decade, and what it says about the character of this community that we are here, together, celebrating 10 years of Today’s Hotelier.
A Decade That Did Not Take It Easy on Us
The 10 years since this publication launched have been among the most turbulent in the history of the hospitality industry. We weathered a global pandemic that forced hotel owners to make impossible decisions about their businesses, employees, and families. We navigated the ensuing labor shortages, which tested the operational creativity and personal resilience of every owner. We absorbed the sustained pressure of inflation, watching costs rise faster than rates in markets that had not recovered.
And yet, here we are. Not merely surviving, but building. The American story has always been written this way, by people who refused to let a difficult moment define the trajectory of their lives. AAHOA Members are very much a part of that tradition.
What 10 Years of Showing Up Has Built
Winston Churchill, reflecting on Britain’s endurance through the Second World War, said that success is not final and failure is not fatal – that it is the courage to continue that counts. AAHOA has continued. Through every legislative fight, every regulatory challenge, every economic disruption, this association has continued to show up for the men and women who own and operate nearly one in three hotels in the United States.
Today’s Hotelier has been part of that continuity. For 10 years, this publication has been a place where the AAHOA story is told with honesty and pride. Where members see their experiences reflected, their challenges acknowledged, and their achievements celebrated. A magazine is more than a collection of articles. It is a record of a community’s life, and this one has been a faithful record of ours.
As we look ahead, I am reminded of what John F. Kennedy said at his inauguration: That the torch had been passed to a new generation. Each year, AAHOA welcomes new members, new voices, and new leaders who will carry this association into its next chapter. The work of the past 10 years has been to make sure that the torch burns brighter than it did when we received it.
On behalf of everyone at AAHOA, thank you for 10 years of trust, of resilience, and of proving that the promise of this industry – and this association – is very much alive. The next 10 years belong to all of us.
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