The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) made an exciting announcement regarding the winners of its prestigious awards.
At The Hospitality Show held at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, the 2023 General Managers of the Year, TechOvation, and Technology Acceleration Award winners were recognized.
AHLA’s 2023 General Managers of the Year are:
- Travelodge by Wyndham Memphis General Manager Harold Daniels, AHLA General Manager of the Year – Select-Service Property
- Embassy Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Airport General Manager Katie Ward, AHLA General Manager of the Year – Full-Service Property
- Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa General Manager Brian Kramer, AHLA General Manager of the Year – Resort Property
- Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa Managing Director Chris Sommers, AHLA General Manager of the Year – Independent Property
- SpringHill Suites by Marriott Orange Beach General Manager Michelle Davis, AHLA General Manager of the Year – Extended Stay Property
- Hyatt Regency New Orleans General Manager Michael O’Keith Smith, AHLA General Manager Lifetime Achievement Award
The General Managers Summit took place during the event, where the outstanding general managers were presented with their well-deserved awards. This inaugural summit is expected to become an annual gathering that brings together hotel GMs from all over the country. During the summit, GMs had the opportunity to listen to expert speakers, share best practices, network with like-minded professionals, and partake in an awards ceremony to celebrate the industry’s top performers.
AHLA and HTNG also named the following winners of the inaugural Technology Acceleration Award:
- Actabl
- Agilysys
- Belmond
- BOUNTE, INC.
- BluIP
- Clairvoyix
- Directful
- Hapi
- Instio Expericences, Pvt Ltd
- iOpen Innovations
- Logistics
- Phonesuite
- TigerTMS
- TipQwik
- Visual Matrix
Among the accolades, AHLA and its technology committee, HTNG, announced the winner of the annual TechOvation Award – PolyAI. PolyAI received this prestigious recognition for their groundbreaking guest-led voice assistants. These voice assistants utilize advanced conversational AI technology to accurately comprehend and respond to common guest requests. The TechOvation Award is given to the most significant recent innovation in hospitality technology. The decision was made by a panel of judges and members of The Hospitality Show audience who carefully evaluated the presentations of ten impressive semifinalists.
AHLA also presented the Technology Acceleration Award, which acknowledges companies that have made notable advancements in hospitality innovation. This year, the award highlighted companies that have successfully adopted HTNG Express, an innovative solution that significantly reduces the time it takes to integrate hotel property management systems after booking. Instead of the usual months-long process, HTNG Express streamlines the integration to just a matter of days.
Chip Rogers, AHLA President & CEO, expressed his excitement about the winners and their pivotal roles in the industry. These remarkable individuals and companies epitomize excellence in hospitality service and ingenuity. Rogers expressed his anticipation for next year’s event, saying, “We look forward to recognizing America’s top hotel GMs and technology innovators again next year at The Hospitality Show 2024 in San Antonio.”
The next edition of The Hospitality Show, scheduled for 2024, will take place at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. It will be a momentous occasion where AHLA will announce the General Manager of the Year, TechOvation, and Technology Acceleration Award winners. The event, set to occur from Monday, October 28, 2024, to Wednesday, October 30, 2024, promises to be a grand celebration of the industry’s finest achievements.
