By Kamalesh (KP) Patel, AAHOA Chairman (2025-2026) Let’s be honest: The way we define leadership is changing, and for the better. The hospitality industry doesn’t just need more leaders. It needs leaders who are collaborative, emotionally intelligent, and adaptable. In other words, it needs more women in charge. For years, women have driven this industry forward. … [Read more...] about Leadership Looks Different Now, and That’s a Good Thing
Current Issue
From Firsts to Forevers: Cementing Women’s Place at the Table
By Laura Lee Blake, ESQ., AAHOA President & CEO At AAHOA, we are not content simply celebrating the “firsts.” We are committed to shaping a future where women’s leadership in hospitality is no longer the exception, but the expectation. For too long, women in our industry have had to break barriers just to enter the room. But what happens after you get there? What … [Read more...] about From Firsts to Forevers: Cementing Women’s Place at the Table
5 Things to Know About AAHOA This September
By AAHOA Staff Image: NeoLeo/stock.adobe.com … [Read more...] about 5 Things to Know About AAHOA This September
Taking Her Ownership
In Family Businesses, the Next Generation of Women Hoteliers Is Ready to Lead By Cathleen Draper Dhruti Patel was born into the world of hospitality. She grew up in an independent property, one of several hotels her parents owned. Her family lived behind the hotel, and Dhruti and her brother frequently helped their mother, Tina Patel, turn over rooms, make beds, and … [Read more...] about Taking Her Ownership
Standing Out
How to Build a Personal Brand That Sets You Apart By A.D. Thompson “I think, as just personality, I am like Tomahawk,” said Yulia Houghtaling, in an accent best described as tellme-you’re-from-Russia-without-telling-me-you’re-from-Russia. Whether she was referencing the Indigenous axe, or the missile that references the Indigenous axe, either way, it … [Read more...] about Standing Out