Kalamazoo, MI – August 31, 2016 – Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) toured the Candlewood Suites in Kalamazoo, Michigan today as part of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AH&LA) “Heart of the House” hotel tour program. The tour of the downtown Kalamazoo hotel catering to both business and leisure guests, illustrated the vital role the hotel industry plays in supporting the small town’s community and local job growth. 

Michigan’s hotels are an important segment of the state economy, generating some $991 million in tax revenue for the state and local governments. In addition, many of Michigan’s hotel properties are small businesses, which is a segment of the economy responsible for half of the jobs in the state. This industry reaches beyond simply providing guests with comfortable rooms or convenient meeting spaces – they also create jobs in a multitude of other industries, including transportation, food and beverage, agriculture, manufacturing, and recreation, supporting $4.2 billion in total sales throughout the state. Review the facts and figures on how Michigan hotels contribute to the economy and local jobs by clicking here.

“Small businesses are one of our nation’s greatest assets as job creators and key contributors to our economy,” said Congressman Fred Upton. “As Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, it is a top priority of mine to create jobs and expand Michigan’s economy. I appreciate the opportunity to see firsthand the inner workings of the hotel industry while meeting many of the hardworking employees and hearing more about the jobs and economic contributions this hotel contributes to in the great town of Kalamazoo.” 

The hotel tour was led by the Candlewood Suites Kalamazoo owner, Anant Patel, General Manager, Rick Zichterman, and accompanied by the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Brian Crawford. 

"We were happy to host Rep. Upton," said Anant Patel, owner of the property. "Building a relationship with our Member of Congress is key to developing strong champions in Washington, D.C. We showed him directly who and what it takes to run our business day-to-day, from the front desk to housekeeping to maintenance and sales, to give him a better understanding of how we impact our community. We also discussed how the deceptive practices of online travel agencies are negatively impacting guest experiences at the hotel level. Guests are not always aware of the true rates and restrictions that come with third party bookings." 
 

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Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the 2 million-employee U.S. lodging industry, including hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, bed and breakfasts, state hotel associations, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides focused advocacy, communications support, and educational resources for an industry of more than 54,000 properties generating $176 billion in annual sales from 5 million guestrooms.