This month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the H.R. 620, known as “the ADA Education and Reform Act.”   Supported by the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, the American… Read more »

by Barbara Machado Social Media Alive in 1915? Living in today’s world of the internet and the rapid pace in which news spreads the globe, can you even imagine the… Read more »

by Barbara Machado Two years ago, I rejoined the THLA staff to assist with the Short Course at the University of Houston. It took about five minutes to recapture the excitement… Read more »

Del Rio is a frontier town that offers plenty of outdoor adventure and a flourishing arts community. The city is best known for being the home of Laughlin Air Force… Read more »

Even though it is still very early in 2018, the Texas election season is quickly heating up.  The March primary elections are only a few months away, and we are… Read more »

Earlier this month, President Trump nominated John Ring to serve on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for a five-year term.  If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Ring’s appointment would… Read more »

Do I need to collect hotel occupancy taxes on cancellation fees? We get this question all the time, and the answer is, probably not.  A special rule applies to whether… Read more »

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text] Revenue per available room (RevPAR) is a metric used in the hotel industry to determine the financial health of the business based on the average daily room… Read more »

Occupancy rate is the ratio of rented or used space for the total amount of available space. The metric is expressed as a percentage and is often used when determining… Read more »

Average Daily Rate (ADR) is a commonly used financial indicator in the hotel industry to measure your hotel’s statistical performance compared to your competitor’s and to measure your hotel to… Read more »

Changing the calendar at the end of December marks a time for reflection on the past year, and planning for the future. As we look back on 2017 and the… Read more »

On December 15, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) struck down the ability to use “micro-unions” to organize private workplaces.  In the pro-employer decision, the NLRB reinstated the older, traditional… Read more »

Jo Fischer, wife of Ed Fischer for 71 glorious years, was a lifelong supporter of hospitality and THLA (formerly the Texas Hotel/Motel Association). In the late 1950’s the hotel industry… Read more »

With Irving’s burgeoning visitor’s district; it’s a connection, a destination, and a state of mind. Stay & play in the convention-centric visitor’s district Irving, Texas is a whole lot of… Read more »

THLA has sample employment handbooks, employee warnings, and employee evaluations for your convenience.   Sample hotel employee handbook Sample employee warning Sample performance evaluation

View and bid on the gift of travel this season!     View and bid on the gift of travel this season! THLA’s 7th Annual Online Auction begins on Thursday,… Read more »

Earlier this month, Congress voted to pass HR 3441, also known as the “Save Local Businesses Act.” This bi-partisan bill clarifies the regulations within the expanded joint employer rule. Under HR 3441, an… Read more »

Register now for THLA’s 2018 Short Course Monday, January 08, 2018 9:00 AM through Friday, January 12, 2018 2:30 PM Hilton University of Houston 4450 University Drive Houston, TX 77204 Register… Read more »

Thousands of Houston area residents were affected by Hurricane Harvey, including many hotel and hospitality industry employees. In response, Visit Houston, the Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Houston (HLAGH),… Read more »

By Pamela Williams and Lariza Hebert What Is The Gig Economy? When many employers hear the term “gig economy,” they immediately think of popular services such as Uber and Lyft.… Read more »

Safety & Security Protocols After Las Vegas Shooting Nearly a month after Mandalay Bay Hotel guest Stephen Paddock opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers from his hotel suite on… Read more »

FEMA’s “Emergency Lodging Assistance (ELA) Program” provides temporary lodging assistance to disaster evacuees. FEMA also refers to this program as the “Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA)” program when communicating with evacuees… Read more »

Thanks to all of you for taking action this week to send a message to Austin City Council in support of Visit Austin’s budget. Your efforts paid off. Last night,… Read more »

Posted by: Ellen Meyer in Lodging Crisis situations—whether natural disasters or man-made tragedies like last month’s mass shooting in Las Vegas—require hotels to have an established plan of action. While many hotels already… Read more »

Dear Hoteliers: Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this tragic shooting in Las Vegas.  As an industry, no issue is more important to us than… Read more »

From the hotel industry’s perspective, the challenge and the need for communications, was this:  In a natural disaster, there is no central governmental agency or authority to disseminate targeted, useful… Read more »

This month we take a long, strange trip West. Marfa is an unlikely mixture of art, culture, and creativity located in the high desert of the Trans-Pecos in far West Texas. The… Read more »

Updated 9/22/2017 Governor Abbott extended the state and local hotel occupancy tax exemption for guests affected by Hurricane Harvey through October 23rd.  Note that FEMA is continuing to pay hotel… Read more »

  There are often questions about whether the permanent resident exemption to the state and local hotel occupancy tax applies to a given situation, and at what point in time… Read more »