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News
www.asianhospitality.com
September 2024 | Issue 229
ore than a thousand
hotel owners,
workers and small
business owners from the
newly formed "Protect NYC
Tourism Coalition" rallied on
the steps of New York's City
Hall on Sept. 12 to protest
the city council's "Safe
Hotels" bill. The coalition
also sent a letter urging the
council to reject the bill, also
known as “Int. 991”, arguing
that the bill threatens the
sustainability of New York
City's hotel and tourism
industries and jeopardizes
the livelihoods of thousands
of workers.
The coalition includes
members from AAHOA, the
American Hotel & Lodging
Association, the Hotel
Association of New York
City, the Real Estate Board
of New York, the Coalition for Hotel
Subcontractors, the NYC Minority
Hotel Association, the National
Association of Black Hotel Owners,
Operators, and Developers, along
with other groups and stakeholders
supporting New York City’s tourism
industry.
First introduced by Councilwoman
Julie Menin over the summer, Int. 991
is presented by supporters as a “simple
licensing bill.” Opponents argue it
would impose operational mandates
that could drive many hotels out of
business, jeopardizing 42,000 hotel
jobs and nearly 260,000 jobs supported
by the industry, along with billions in
revenue for New York City.
AAHOA treasurer Rahul Patel, joined
by AAHOA Northeast regional director
Preyas Patel and Mid-Atlantic regional
director Mahendra Patel, voiced
industry concerns about the proposed
act.
"The Safe Hotels Act was not created
in good faith, or the city council
would have reached out to us and our
members," Rahul Patel said. "This act
the city council is trying to pass will
destroy our livelihoods. It not only hurts
small businesses but will also harm
thousands of hospitality employees in
the New York City area."
He noted that hotels in Manhattan
contributed more than $2.3 million in
state and local taxes in 2021 and $7.2
million to the GDP. These numbers
demonstrate how vital small hotels are
to the local economy.
"I extend my deepest gratitude to
Rahul Patel, our hospitality leaders,
and the hundreds of supporters who
rallied today," said Miraj Patel, AAHOA’s
chairman. "It is my sincere hope that
the city council will listen to our voices
and collaborate with us to find balanced
solutions that benefit everyone. AAHOA
stands ready to partner in this process."
"The Safe Hotels Act, as it stands,
poses a serious threat to our members'
businesses and their livelihoods and
threatens to undermine that economic
engine at a time when the industry
is still recovering from
unprecedented challenges,"
said Laura Lee Blake,
AAHOA’s president and CEO.
‘Legislation causes
irrevocable damage’
“This legislation will cause
irrevocable damage and
hurt thousands of guests,
hotel owners, workers, and
small business owners who
support New York City’s
hotel and tourism industry,”
said Kevin Carey, AHLA’s
interim president and CEO.
“The economic toll of this bill
will reverberate for years,
forcing hotels to lay off hard-
working staff, raise rates,
and even permanently close.
This is not a licensing or
safety bill—it’s a government
takeover of New York City
hotels, and we will not stop fighting
until it’s defeated.”
“Int. 991 is a solution in search of a
problem. It imposes staffing mandates
that most hotels cannot afford, forcing
closures and disrupting hotel lending
and transactions,” said Vijay Dandapani,
Hotel Association of NYC’s president
and CEO. “This bill harms the financial
health of hotels and threatens the
sustainability of New York’s tourism
industry. The City Council should be
working with us, not against us, to
support job creation and economic
recovery.”
The coalition also emphasized the
safety protocols already in place at
member hotels and the industry’s
commitment to ending human
trafficking.
In August, New York hoteliers
Mukesh and Nikul Patel formed the
NYC Minority Hotel Association to
oppose the proposed law, calling it
“unnecessary, redundant rules that
would cripple the hotel industry.”
‘Protect NYC Tourism Coalition’
marches against hotel bill
Industry associations say the legislation will harm New York’s hotel
and tourism industry
More than a thousand hotel owners, workers, and small business owners
from the "Protect NYC Tourism Coalition" rallied at New York's City Hall on
September 12 to protest the City Council's "Safe Hotels" bill. Pictured, AAHOA
Treasurer Rahul Patel, left, speaks to coalition members.