Washington D.C., November 13, 2014 Omni Hotels and Resorts has contributed $5,000 to the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) 2014 Annual Giving Campaign.

Omni Hotels & Resorts creates genuine, authentic guest experiences at 60 distinct luxury hotels and resorts in leading business gateways and leisure destinations across North America. A member of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA), Omni is supporting AH&LEF's mission to provide resources for hospitality-related education, research projects, and vital opportunities that benefit the lodging industry with this donation.

Michael Deitemeyer, President of Omni Hotels & Resorts and a member of AH&LA's Board of Directors said, "It is a privilege to contribute to the important work that AH&LEF is doing to provide training opportunities for our team members, cultivate our leaders, and shed light on our dynamic industry through its research." He added that, "Omni is committed to giving back to the communities within our industry. This donation to AH&LEF’s 2014 Annual Giving Campaign is one way to meet that commitment. We appreciate the work that AH&LEF does, and look forward to the innovative ways that the Foundation utilizes these funds."

While Omni Hotels and Resorts has made a name for itself as a luxury hotel, this donation shows that the company is multidimensional and invested in giving back," said Joori Jeon, AH&LEF president/COO. "We are grateful for their support, and for the company's commitment to the future of the industry."

The Annual Giving Campaign is AH&LEF's key yearly fundraising initiative supported solely by the hospitality sector. Initiated in 1997, the program generates funds for AH&LEF’s core programs that provide hospitality management students with academic scholarships, offer grants for pertinent industry research such as diversity and technology advancement, and promote hospitality as a career of choice. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised through the campaigns, and the Foundation is scheduled to disburse more than $1 million in scholarships this year.

AH&LEF is the not-for-profit affiliate of AH&LA and is funded solely by charitable donations from progressive hospitality leaders and companies within the industry. In 2013, AH&LEF disbursed over $1 million to prepare promising college students for a career in hospitality, to attract and retain talented industry professionals, and to fund valuable research for lodging properties. Since the Foundation's inception, approximately $18.5 million has been distributed through its scholarship, education, outreach, and research programs.