From Our Blog
Are You Being Audited? These Tips Can Turn the Experience into a Strength
November, 28 2018by 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 2018Google Hotel Search and How it will Affect Your Holiday Season
October, 31 2018Google 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 2018Midland, 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 2018by 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 2018By 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 2018Short-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 2018October 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 2018We 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 2018Do 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 2018Revenue 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 2018On 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 2018This 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 2018Tourism 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 2018On 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 »
THLA Tax Tip: Don’t Forget to Collect State (but not local) Hotel Taxes on Attached Meeting Room Rentals
August, 29 2018It is easy to get confused about which taxes to collect on the rental of a meeting room or banquet room. Unfortunately, the law on point is itself confusing: For… Read more »
THLA Welcomes Christy Spradling – Associate Membership Director
August, 29 2018Texas Hotel & Lodging Association is excited to welcome Christy Spradling on board as Associate Membership Director! Along with Carolyn McCall-Squires, Christy will be handling all facets of membership sales… Read more »
Tara Energy hosting Construction/Renovation Guidelines Town Hall in Dallas
August, 27 2018Tara Energy is arranging a Town Hall in Dallas for hoteliers along with Oncor the Utility provider in North Texas covering the topic New Construction / Renovation Guidelines-Procedures.… Read more »
San Antonio Considers Following in Austin’s Footsteps with Paid Sick Leave Ordinance
July, 31 2018This week, the San Antonio city clerk’s office verified that proponents of a mandatory sick leave ordinance have gathered a sufficient number of signatures on a petition for the City… Read more »
6 Ways to Reduce Water Consumption in Hotels
July, 31 2018Summer heat reminds us of the importance of one of our most precious resources–water. From swimming pools to sprinklers to kitchen sinks, in our rapidly growing tourism sector hotels are… Read more »
Are you looking for staff to hire?
July, 31 2018Consider attending the State of Texas’s DiverseAbility Forum in Frisco, Texas on August 30th. The forum is hosted by the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities, TWC Office of… Read more »
THLA Tax Tip – Sales Taxes on Housekeeping and Data Processing
July, 31 2018A reminder that sales taxes are likely due on housekeeping services and data processing services Do you utilize a third-party housekeeping or janitorial service to clean your lodging property? If… Read more »
Employing Minors at Hotels
June, 27 2018Employing Minors at Texas Hotels During the summer months, many hotels turn to high-school students to fill seasonal positions. If you are considering employing a minor at your hotel, this… Read more »
Remembering Ron Sanders – Big Bend Visionary and Tourism Advocate
June, 27 2018On June 9, the Texas lodging industry lost Ron Sanders, an inspirational leader for hoteliers and the tourism industry. Rondell “Ron” Sanders, CHA, served on THLA’s board of directors… Read more »
Round Rock, Sports Capital of Texas Hits a Home Run!
May, 30 2018Round Rock has made a name for itself as the Sports Capital of Texas, playing host to the biggest youth and recreational sports tournaments for athletes from all over the… Read more »
Service Animals Lodging Properties
May, 29 2018A service animal is not a pet. Read up on traveling to Texas accommodations and questions to ask a guest when you are unsure.
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Rules that Transgender Discrimination Violates Federal Anti-Bias Law
May, 29 2018In March, a federal appeals court extended the nation’s primary federal employment discrimination statute to cover transgender and transitioning employees. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that employers… Read more »
Supreme Court Holds Employment Arbitration Clauses are Valid
May, 29 2018On May 21, 2018, the Supreme Court released a ruling on class action lawsuits that is very favorable to employers. In May, the Supreme Court ruled that class action… Read more »
Music Licensing: ASCAP, BMI, GMR, and SESAC
April, 30 2018Hoteliers across the U.S. often receive notice from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), Global Music Rights (GMR), and the Society of European… Read more »
Travel Then and Now in Texas
April, 30 2018Even if we weren’t there at the time, many are likely familiar with the State Fair of Texas and it’s impact to the city of Dallas annually. It’s amazing how… Read more »