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 »

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.7.1″] Information for hotel guests: Obtaining financial assistance for lodging:  Are you a Hurricane Harvey evacuee in need of financial assistance for lodging?  We suggest contacting the… Read more »

Texas Hotel & Lodging Association Be sure you are familiar with the laws on selling and redeeming gift certificates.  Texas and the federal government have several laws on point with… Read more »

  A Message from TABC Legal Experts Martin Frost & Hill   Effective immediately, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has stopped mailing out paper renewal application forms. Instead, the TABC is… Read more »

Is it lawful for a hotel to go to a “credit cards-only” policy for payment?

August 16, 2017 The Texas Legislature adjourned the special legislative session “sine die,” which means the first called legislative session of 2017 is officially over. Importantly, the special session ended… Read more »

  Lt. Governor Dan Patrick continues to move legislation through the Senate, having now sent over ten of Governor Abbott's twenty special session items to the House.   To do… Read more »

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) “Drive-By” Lawsuits Update Changes to Texas laws for actions filed in state court, July 2017 Drive-by ADA lawsuits are a recurring problem for businesses across… Read more »

THLA Legislative Update The Texas Legislature convened on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 for a special session called by Governor Greg Abbott. As set by Governor Abbott’s “call,” the 30-day legislative… Read more »

This month’s feature city lives up to its motto! Frisco, Texas got its start from hardy pioneers who came to the north Texas prairie following the Preston Trail (today’s Preston… Read more »

2017 Regular Legislative Session:   Texas Hotel & Lodging Association End of Session Report   June 2017 Contents: Overview Summer Special Session Short-term Rental (STR) Preemption Transgender “Bathroom” Bills Full Funding… Read more »

When you think of the word “real” often times the synonym “authentic” comes to mind. This holds true for our feature city Seguin. Seguin is one of the oldest towns… Read more »

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) joined forces on May 17-18 as nearly 500 hoteliers from across the country come to… Read more »

With the Texas summer season comes increased interest in hiring high school aged employees to work in hotel properties.  If you are seeking to hire any employees under the age of 18, this brief guide will assist in legal consideration you should take into account.

2017 Legislative Session:  Hotel Administration Bills April Update   Below is a summary of filled bills THLA is tracking that affect various aspects of general hotel operations.   ADA related… Read more »

If you are looking for a real history lesson this month, then look no further than Jefferson. Jefferson, located in Marion County, is located on Big Cypress Creek and Caddo… Read more »

We are nearing the final month of the Regular Texas Legislative Session.  Sine die on Memorial Day, May 29th, and we are now well past the March bill filing deadline.… Read more »

Hotel Occupancy Tax Bills – 2017 Legislative Session   This legislative session, over 50 bills were filed that directly affect local hotel occupancy taxes. Here is a summary of the… Read more »

Texas Legislature March 2017 Update During each legislative session, THLA monitors every bill that is filed at the Legislature to determine whether it would have an impact on the Texas… Read more »

The American Hotel & Lodging Association just released it’s 2017 Economic Impact Study conducted by Oxford Economics. The data reveals the hotel and lodging industry as a powerful driver of… Read more »