A Century of Hospitality: The American Hotel & Lodging Association captures the lodging industry’s rich history and tells the story of how the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) came to be, starting at the turn of the 19th century when the industry was only 10,000 properties strong. The four-color, 144-page coffee-table style book features spectacular photographs and colorful anecdotes that give insight on the key milestones, innovations, and people who shaped the industry over the last 100 years, as well as the many issues, both social and economic, hoteliers faced.

The book also parallels the growth of AH&LA and the many challenges the association has faced, beginning in January 1910 when a group of hoteliers gathered at the Palmer House in Chicago to form the American Hotel Protective Association to address their primary concerns – protection against deadbeats, check forgers, dishonest and undesirable employees, and crooks of all descriptions. The name would change three times before becoming the American Hotel & Lodging Association in 2002, and the association’s scope would broaden to include government legislation, sharing knowledge and business practices, and much more.

The book was produced by the McNeill Group, publishers of Lodging magazine, and was sponsored by American Express and STR, two companies with long-standing relationships with AH&LA.

A Century of Hospitality: The American Hotel & Lodging Association debuts at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show, November 7-10, which marks the official kick-off of AH&LA’s centennial celebration. Attendees of the AH&LA Inaugural Gala will receive a complimentary copy, and it will be available for purchase at the AH&LA and EI booths.

The book will be available for purchase from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) after November 9. It comes in a hardbound version for $30 for AH&LA members and $35 for nonmembers, and in a softbound version for $20 for AH&LA members and $25 for nonmembers. To order, call 800-752-4567 or 517-372-8800, or visit www.ahlei.org/centennial . Outside the U.S. and Canada, call 407-999-8100. It will also be available on Amazon.com.

Established in 1953 as a nonprofit educational foundation of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Educational Institute’s mission is to support AH&LA by becoming the preferred provider to the lodging industry, hospitality schools, and related hospitality industries both domestically and internationally by developing and providing quality resources to train, educate, and certify hospitality professionals.

Serving the hospitality industry for a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom-line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to members. For more about AH&LA and our centennial anniversary, visit .

Elizabeth Johnson
Marketing and Communications Manager
517-318-2359
Educational Institute