Bijal Patel, chairman of California Hotel and Lodging Association (CHLA), has been awarded the Asian American Hotel Owners Association‘s(AAHOA) Political Forum Award for Advocacy for 2020-21.
The award recognises the Indian American for guiding numerous successful advocacy initiatives on behalf of hotel owners during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Government officials have a more profound impact than ever on the bottom line of hotel owners,” stated Patel in accepting the award, as per a news release on August 11. “Our advocacy activities focus on making sure that hoteliers are helped more and harmed less by the decisions of legislators and regulators.”
“I’m honoured and humbled that this award salutes the many proactive hours invested by our members and allies,” he further said. “Political advocacy is never ‘one and done, the issues may change, but our mission on behalf of hoteliers always continues.”
Patel, an Indian American, who was honoured on August 6 in Dallas, has been working to advance the interests of hotel owners among government officials.
Patel’s work with California Governor Gavin Newsom, state agencies, and state regulators to expedite safe re-opening norms for small businesses such as hotels to relax restrictions on meetings of small groups so hotels could regain the important revenue stream. He also worked to get hotel employees vaccinated as essential workers, IndiaWest reported.
Besides, he ran an information campaign throughout the year, leading up to the elections in November. Patel, the CEO of Northern California’s Redwood Hospitality, has also worked with the AAHOA and CHLA to stop Proposition that would have increased taxes for property owners in the states.
AAHOA is the largest hotel owners’ association globally, representing around 20,000 members who share ownership of 60% of America’s hotels.
Biral Patel, previous chairman of the trade association for hotel owners, told IndiaWest, “Every year, AAHOA recognises and honours hoteliers who go above and beyond in service to the hospitality industry,”
“We are all honoured to highlight their service and commitment to excellence,” he added, pointing out the uncertainty and difficulty of the year affected by Covid-19.
