CHLA Lodging News May/June 2020

www.calodging.com May/June 2020 3 Dear CHLA Member, In light of recent events, CHLA held discussions about how to effectively provide our Lodging News Magazine in a timely manner while considering the safety of others. We decided it would ultimately benefit and protect our members to use a digital-only format for the May/June edition. Switching to this format ensures that our members receive information faster and avoids the chain of people physically handling print copies. We continue to work on your behalf and hope to be able to deliver print copies of our future magazine editions. – CHLA Team “best practices” guidelines to our members that enable hotels to continue operating and to deal with COVID-19 as it evolves. With legislators, we collaborated on the Hotel Lease Volunteer Program which provides temporary housing and we have asked for deferral of property taxes which were due on April 10. CHLA was also instrumental in getting the Governor to waive the WARN Act, which requires employers to typically give at least a 60-day notice before layoffs—a timeline that is almost impossible during these tough times. For members, we are updating our website portal twice every day—at 9:30 am and 4 pm—with the very latest and the very best operating information, such as how to deal with potential COVID-19 exposure from new guests, how to re-arrange housekeeping services, and how to protect employees as well as new guests from exposure. Personally, I am reaching out continuously to members through “WhatsApp” while our President & CEO, Lynn Mohrfeld, and his staff are communicating constantly by email and phone. Our engagement with members is stronger and more immediate than ever before. Though it may be difficult to envision right now, I do believe a rebound will come for our world, our country, and our industry—and it will be strong thanks to the postponed business trips, events, and vacations that will finally happen. For example, Visit California recently estimated that our state’s travel industry will lose $10.9 billion in revenue and 554,000 jobs this year. Direct visitor spending will be down $54.5 billion, or about a third of what was originally expected. However, for every month that California can accelerate the recovery, we have the opportunity to recover lost revenue and put displaced employees back to work. According to Visit California, if we can turn a corner to start recovery by summer, our state could begin to recoup as much as $16.8 billion of the expected total $54 billion loss in travel- related spending. So, we should do our part to ensure that we are prepared to welcome visitors when the appropriate time comes. But right now, our members are suffering economic damage every day to their fiscal health. Regardless of whether they are government officials, franchisors, bankers, suppliers, or hoteliers—at CHLA, we are working with all of them closely, cleverly, and immediately so every hotel possible survives the current epidemic economically. For us hoteliers, the industry has never been for the meek or the weak. It is for people who are patient and persistent—who are “overcomers.” We overcame challenges such as the economic downturn of 2008 and 9/11— and we will overcome the coronavirus. Two-thirds of my Chairmanship lies ahead. During the days and months to come, I look forward to bringing you less news from our winter of despair and more news from our spring of hope—and certainly please continue to share your comments and suggestions with me. Stay safe, stay observant, and stay healthy— physically and fiscally.  For members, we are updating our website portal twice every day—at 9:30 am and 4 pm—with the very latest and the very best operating information.