In a meeting or at a reception, my typical conversation with a legislator may begin with a jocular remark. “Oh,” the lawmaker says, “I know all about hotels. I stayed in one last night.” He or she may even whip out a card to show loyalty to a specific brand.
That’s my opportunity—no, my obligation—to further that legislator’s education. “Ah,” I say. “You know all about being a hotel guest. Can I tell you more about what goes into that experience?” Of course, that line is even more effective coming from one of our members. Which is why AHLA makes those conversations happen—through HotelsACT, our grassroots action network; through Heart of the House tours in lawmakers’ home districts; and through fly-ins to Washington, D.C., culminating in our annual Hotels on the Hill event.
The industry’s structure is complex, with many stakeholders playing a wide spectrum of roles. It’s much easier for policymakers to understand the industry when a constituent can say, “This is what I do, and this is what I need to be successful.”
Heart of the House tours give elected officials at every level of government a behind-the-scenes look at operations and a chance to meet the people who make a hotel work: general managers, chefs, housekeepers, guest services representatives, maintenance workers, and more. Those workers are the lawmaker’s constituents, too, and their livelihood might depend on policies made in Washington, state capitols, and city halls.
Advocacy Days, organized by our partner state associations and fly-in events like Hotels on the Hill, our biggest advocacy event of the year, amplify and extend that message. It’s tremendously powerful when a group of hoteliers walks into a lawmaker’s office, and even more powerful when they walk in with representatives of allied businesses. Hotels don’t stand alone in their regional and local economies; they’re the hubs of large commercial networks that include many different providers of goods and services, employing millions of people and generating billions in tax revenues. Perspectives may differ slightly, but all participants share one overarching goal: a thriving hotel sector that fuels local, state, and national economies.
As a Congressional staffer, I saw the impact of these visiting delegations firsthand. Those meetings produced lasting connections with constituents who could provide valuable feedback and insights on legislative decisions, as well as ideas for new policies to foster economic growth and prosperity. I’m excited about seeing the process from the other side as we plan and schedule the 2026 Hotels on the Hill event, which will be held May 12-13. Our goal is to bring in at least 10 members from each of the 50 states—not just hoteliers but our Allied members as well, whose businesses intertwine with and depend on a healthy hotel sector.
Lawmakers need to know how many of their constituents’ hotels in their districts employ. They need to know how much hotels in their districts pay in taxes; how much they spend on services and goods from local suppliers; how deeply networked they are with their local business communities; and what every new regulatory or legislative requirement means for their long-term success.
And those stories are best told when you’re with us for these events!
In this 250th anniversary year, it also feels appropriate to remember how essential associations have been to American democracy from its earliest days. When Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States in 1835 to examine the still-new American experiment in democracy, he marveled at Americans’ drive to form associations. In fact, he concluded, associations were fundamental to democracy: through associations, Americans pursued goals and projects that, in European countries, might be left up to kings.
Almost 200 years later, AHLA sees this power in action every day. As the organization’s professional advocates, we are most effective when we are connecting our members directly to their elected representatives. If you’re not already planning to attend this year’s Hotels on the Hill, I hope you’ll register today. If you’re concerned about policies developing in your city, county, or state, we’d be glad to help you organize a Heart of the House tour for your local officials. If you haven’t already signed up for HotelsACT, it’s a quick and easy way for you to keep in touch with your legislators. And the next time I have that conversation with a lawmaker, I can say, “You know, I’ve got someone you should talk to …”