From Our Blog

2019 Texas Legislative Session: Bills we are tracking

January, 24 2019

  Every legislative session, THLA tracks hundreds of bills that may affect the hotel industry. We want you to see what we see. Here is the list of bills we… Read more »

Converge on the Capitol 2019 – The Issues

January, 22 2019

The 10th Biennial Converge on the Capitol day was Thursday, February 21st!  Thank you to all our members who joined us in Austin. Converge on the Capitol was a huge… Read more »

Short Course 2019 – Friday’s Class Materials

January, 2 2019

Friday’s Agenda Rock Star Employees – Mel Kleiman Final exam – Good Luck! Evaluations – Friday   2019 Short Course Home

Short Course 2019 – Thursday’s Class Materials

January, 2 2019

Thursday’s Agenda Accounting – Agnes DeFranco Conflict Resolution – Juan Madera Hotel Law – Scott Joslove Positive Leadership – Steve Barth Evaluations – Thursday   Short Course Home

Short Course 2019 – Wednesday’s Class Materials

January, 2 2019

Wednesday’s Agenda Customer Service – Doug Horn Diverse Communication – Dawson Madera Power & Influence – Jeanna Abbott The Balancing Act – Dr. Marc Clark Evaluations – Wednesday   Short… Read more »

Short Course 2019 – Tuesday’s Class Materials

January, 2 2019

Tuesday’s Agenda Employment Law – Justin Bragiel Food & Beverage – Garvin O’Neil Housekeeping – Cathy Cheatham Revenue Management – Steve Cunningham Evaluations – Tuesday   Short Course Home

Short Course 2019 – Monday’s Class Materials

January, 2 2019

Monday’s Agenda Breck Hamrock Bio Dennis Reynolds Bio Fernando Cuellar Bio Going Beyond the Brand – Karen McCullough Sales-Marketing, Cindy Novotny Will Tarrant Bio Sweating the Small Stuff – Will… Read more »

Short Course 2019 – Maps, Aquarium Info, and Code of Conduct

January, 2 2019

2019 Short Course Code of Conduct Hilton University of Houston Floor Plan Rice Village Map 2019 Downtown Aquarium Info:  The Downtown Aquarium is located at 410 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002.… Read more »

Short Course 2019 – Student Materials Homepage

January, 2 2019

2019 Short Course Students – Click on the links below to access the materials and information Full Agenda Maps, Aquarium Info, and Code of Conduct Monday’s class materials Tuesday’s class… Read more »

SHORT COURSE – A Personal Passion

December, 31 2018

by Barb Machado, former Executive Director San Antonio Hotel Association and Lifetime Short Course volunteer Short Course is just around the corner – have you sent in your list of… Read more »

End of Year Document Clean-Up 2018

December, 31 2018

End of Year Document Clean-Up 2018

Human Trafficking Awareness Training

December, 28 2018

By Trusha Patel Texas Hotelier, AAHOA Member What makes hotels attractive to guests? For some, it’s the amenities, the perks awarded for frequent stays, the privacy, the comfort, and the… Read more »

Odessa – Spirit of Discovery!

December, 27 2018

When you visualize Odessa Texas you might picture dusty plains populated with oil rigs and colored with cowboy culture. Or you might think Friday Night Lights–the book, movie, and television… Read more »

November 2018 Election Update

November, 28 2018

This November’s midterm elections set new records for the State of Texas and reflects a new shift in direction for Texas politics. Over 8.3 million Texans turned out to vote… Read more »

Top Hospitality Trends in 2018

November, 28 2018

  The hospitality industry changes constantly, and these changes happen faster all the time. As the industry grows alongside technical advances, so grows the diversity of consumer needs. The latest… Read more »

Are You Being Audited? These Tips Can Turn the Experience into a Strength

November, 28 2018

by Jonathan Gerth, Avenu Insights Tax compliance audits tend to conjure up scenarios of anxiety, endless paper chases, potentially unknown compliance issues, tax deficiencies, late fees, and fines. But there… Read more »

THLA Partners with Best

November, 27 2018

Google Hotel Search and How it will Affect Your Holiday Season

October, 31 2018

Google has been very busy in the travel and tourism industry, launching and updating many travel-planning tools this year. Around the end of August 2018, Google officially rolled out a… Read more »

Midland Texas, The Tall City

October, 31 2018

Midland, nicknamed The Tall City, stands high on the West Texas horizon and offers experiences with presidents, petroleum, art, and history. Located on Interstate 20 halfway between Dallas and El… Read more »

Employment Practice Risks for Small Hotels

October, 31 2018

by David Pihlgren, Hospitality Resource Group Texas led the nation in EEOC claims against employers in 2017. Half of those claims were against small business employers with 100 employees or… Read more »

November Midterm Pre-Election Update 2018

October, 31 2018

By Texas Lobby Group, THLA’s lobby team Fueled by the hotly contested race between Senator Ted Cruz and Democrat Beto O’Rourke, turnout for this year’s midterm election in Texas is… Read more »

Short-Term Rental (STR) Update 2018

October, 31 2018

Short-term rental (STR) regulations in Texas are a hot topic among city governments around the nation. An increasing number of Texas communities have ordinances in place to manage local STRs… Read more »

City of Austin Issues Boil Water Notice

October, 22 2018

October 22, 2018 Today, the City of Austin issued a city-wide boil water notice after flooding overwhelmed the City’s water treatment capacity. Hotels should take precautions to ensure guest safety… Read more »

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

October, 9 2018

We respect and are committed to protecting your privacy. We may receive and store any information you enter on our Web site or give us in any other way. We… Read more »

ADA Bathroom Guidelines 2018

September, 27 2018

Do your bathrooms meet all the ADA requirements? The ADA (The American with Disabilities Act) outlines very specific ADA bathroom guidelines concerning the construction and compliance of accessible (handicap) bathrooms.… Read more »

Revenue Management Strategy

September, 27 2018

Revenue management is the application of analytics that predicts consumer behavior to secure maximum revenue for a business. In the lodging industry, implementing Revenue Management Strategies (“RMS”) for hotel and… Read more »

Federal Agency Proposes Formal Change to Joint-Employer Standard

September, 27 2018

On September 13, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced intent to propose agency regulations to formally change the joint-employer standard. This is good news for employers, as the proposed… Read more »

Corpus Christi & the Coastal Bend – Miles & Miles of Sand and Sun

August, 30 2018

This month’s featured city proves:  A Texas weekend getaway won’t get better than this! Bask in over 70 miles of sand, sun, food, and culture on the beautiful Padre Island National… Read more »

Scott Joslove, Today’s Hotelier

August, 30 2018

Tourism Public Improvement Districts: The next frontier excerpt from Today’s Hotelier, August 2018 For many years, hoteliers across the country have fought to keep local hotel occupancy taxes low and to… Read more »

Court Blocks Austin’s Paid Sick Leave Ordinance from Taking Effect as Scheduled

August, 30 2018

On August 17th, a state appeals court enjoined the City of Austin’s paid sick leave ordinance from taking effect as scheduled on October 1st. Austin was the first Texas city… Read more »