Benefits for Hoteliers

• Advocacy.  Your membership provides the resources and clout for WLA, with one united and powerful voice, to advance initiatives on legislative, legal and regulatory fronts that promote a healthy business climate for the lodging industry. WLA’s regular email updates keep members apprised of and engaged in current issues. 
• Refunds and lower workers' compensation costs.   WLA’s Workers’ Compensation Retro Program safeguards you from skyrocketing costs of workers’ comp premiums through scrupulous management of claims and proactive programs that result in a decrease in on-the-job accidents and injuries; lower premiums and refunds of premiums already paid. WLA’s is one of the top performers among all Washington retro programs.
• Free safety training.  WLA members save even more on workers’ comp premiums while keeping staff safe and productive by taking advantage of cutting-edge safety training programs including CPR/First Aid (in English and Spanish), Anti-Harassment and Discrimination, Unemployment Claims Management and more. New classes scheduled monthly. Each member property receives four free classes per year!
• Discounts on Washington State Visitors' Guide.   Advertise in the only official publication for marketing Washington State and drive business to your reservation desk. Members receive special discounts and bonus internet listings on StayInWashington.com.  The Visitors’ Guide is available online in digital format on StayInWashington.com.  In addition, the 2012 digital version will also be available on ExperienceWA.com.  
• Enhanced online visibility on StayInWashington.com.Travelers worldwide visit StayInWashington.com, the companion website to the Washington State Visitors’ Guide. Members who advertise receive a free photo web page and enhanced listing on StayInWashington.com.
• Member-Only discounts on products and services. WLA's strategic relationship with vendor partners allows us to offer a wide variety of money-saving discounts on hospitality related products and services exclusively to WLA members that directly impact and enhance your bottom line. Members receive great value, great service and a great deal!
• Exclusive health and dental insurance programs.  WLA has comprehensive and competitively priced health and dental insurance programs, designed especially for the hospitality industry and available only to WLA members. Programs cover groups as small as three with employer contributions of 50% or more. Members can save thousands of dollars annually in premiums using these programs!
• STR reports at special rates. STR, the recognized leader in providing accurate hotel performance information and analysis to the lodging industry, offers WLA members deep discounts on specialized reports and complimentary monthly updates.
• Staff recruitment.  Find staff through WLA’s partner Hcareers, the leading job board for the hospitality industry. Hcareers efficiently matches member employers with the right applicants – with a 20% discount on job postings, resume database access, company profile pages and more.
• Savings at WLA's Annual Convention & Trade Show.  Members enjoy a special rate to connect and network with colleagues at WLA’s annual event. Recognize your staff with the annual Stars of the Industry awards ceremony. Learn about the latest products and services, sharpen your skills and gain new ones with relevant and inspiring workshops.
• AH&LA bonus membership.  WLA members with 51+ rooms receive double the value with a bonus membership in the American Hotel and Lodging Association. AH&LA, headquartered in Washington, D.C., provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information and other value-added services that provide bottom-line savings. Members receive answers from the industry-leading Information Center; advanced training materials from the Educational Institute; free subscriptions to Lodging Magazine; and discounts on conferences, certification, services and products. (WLA members with fewer than 50 rooms can join AH&LA for a nominal fee.)
• WLA’s Third Edition of the Washington State Hospitality Law Manual is yours free with membership!  This invaluable resource provides hotel owners and operators with up-to-date and easy-to-understand information on federal and Washington state laws that regulate the lodging and hospitality industry and how they apply to your operations. The Law Manual helps improve your efficiency and profitability and avoid litigation, and covers terrorism-related legislation, privacy rights, service animals, accessibility to rooms by the disabled, rights of minors, hotel liquor laws, lodging taxes and much more. Editor-in-Chief Irv Sandman of Sandman Savrann PLLC is devoted exclusively to providing comprehensive, first-choice legal counsel to the hospitality industry and delivers cost-effective, industry-informed counsel to state, national and international hotel companies.  Legal contributions to the Law Manual are from Bryan Helfer, Foster Pepper; Andria Lure Ryan and Rich Meneghello, Fisher & Phillips; Samantha Noonan, Williams Kastner; Sandip Soli, Cairncross & Hempelmann; and Janice Goh, University of Washington law student extern; and is written in coordination with attorney Dennis McLaughlin, author of the first two editions.  
• Another valuable resource available free and only to members!  The newly-revised, Hospitality Employment Compliance Guide, created specifically for Washington State hospitality employers by hospitality counsel at Fisher & Phillips, LLP. This user-friendly CD includes forms, overviews and checklists and provides what you need to know about the Family and Medical Leave Act; the Fair Credit Reporting Act; reference checks and performance appraisals; separation and termination; I-9 issues; and much more. As laws and legal rulings change, you’ll get timely and important updates. Renewing members should have already received a free copy of the Compliance Guide. If yours is missing or you’re not receiving email updates, let us know.
• Click here to join.

WLA is dedicated to strengthening state hospitality.  Your membership delivers money-saving benefits and provides WLA the necessary financial resources and clout to continue supporting and advocating on your behalf!

Benefits for Vendors

• Free unlimited access to WLA’s lodging member database. This database provides you with key contact information for hotel owners, operators and management companies, enabling you to deliver your marketing message directly to this important segment of your customer base.  Call or write to receive a copy.
• Free use of the WLA allied member Logo. Use the Washington Lodging Association allied member logo on your website, print and electronic promotional materials to proudly demonstrate your support of and relationship to the Association and the lodging industry.
• Free online recommended vendor listings and links on WAlodging.org, the lodging industry’s official website.  Your company is featured alphabetically and by product-service category, with prospects directed to your own business’ website.  You can easily include special discounts and promotions specifically for WLA members in your company profile.
• Free online logo and listing on Member Deals. Your logo, featured on WAlodging.org, with a direct link to a dedicated web page to promote special pricing and other deals you make available only to WLA members.  A link to your own business’ website is included. You can easily update your exclusive offer throughout the year.  
• Free posting of original articles on WALodging.org. Submit your industry relevant article with broad lodging industry appeal and WLA will publish it on WALodging.org.  WLA will credit you as the author and direct readers to your website. 
• Free insertion and mailing of printed promotional materials in lodging member packets. Give us your marketing brochures and we'll include it in 500+ packets mailed annually.
• Members-only featured sponsorship presence on WAlodging.org and industry e-mail alerts. Your logo can appear on every page of WAlodging.org and on all of WLA’s industry-wide e-mail alerts.  A direct link to your customized promotional message and business website is included.  Promotional space is limited, making your message prominent.
• Networking opportunities. In addition to our convention, WLA Board-hosted regional events give allied members the exclusive opportunity to build and reinforce relationships and promote their products and services face-to-face with industry decision makers. Two events are scheduled every year at no additional cost for you to attend. The next scheduled complimentary luncheon is on Friday, June 15, from 11:30-1:30 pm, at the Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort, Leavenworth. Click here to RSVP for this event.
• Special rates on exhibition space and sponsorship opportunities at WLA’s annual Convention, Trade Show & Casino Night. Mark your calendar for September 30 - October 2, 2012 at Tulalip Resort Casino and Spa and plan to take advantage of this great marketing opportunity.
• Receive exclusive discounts on members-only programs such as competitively-priced health and dental insurance, workplace safety training classes and much more. Contact WLA for details on all the benefits of membership.
• Receive a valuable free gift with membership - the newly-revised Hospitality Employment Compliance Guide CD.  Created exclusively for WLA members by employment experts at Fisher & Phillips law firm, this guide is applicable for business in general and provides employment guidelines and forms to support best business practices. Renewing members should have already received a free copy of the Compliance Guide.  If yours is missing, let us know.
• The benefits don’t stop there. WLA consistently promotes its talent pool of allied members as vendor partners to lodging owners and operators as a key benefit of membership. When members contact the WLA or visit WAlodging.org for referrals for products, services and expert advice, they’re always directed to shop allied members first. Hoteliers appreciate doing business with companies that understand their needs and support their trade association. Your WLA allied membership completes this important connection.
• Click here to join.

Increase your business, enhance your bottom line and strengthen your bond with Washington’s lodging professionals. Allied Membership gives you an easy and effective way to market your products and services to a target audience of the state’s leading hoteliers and provides a valuable connection to the Washington lodging industry.

Thank you for your interest in joining the Washington Lodging Association!

WLA is dedicated to the growth and success of Washington’s lodging industry.  Your membership delivers you money-saving benefits and provides WLA the necessary financial resources and clout to continue supporting and advocating for the industry. 

• lodging member join form
• lodging member renewal form
 
• allied member join form
• allied member renewal form

Please complete and return a join or renewal form and e-mail the form with your credit card information, or send by mail with your check.  And click here to take full advantage of your lodging and allied membership benefits! 

WLA Membership Delivers Benefits and a Bonus

For properties with 51 or more rooms,  Washington Lodging Association membership delivers double the value:  American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) membership is included with your WLA membership fee. 

Serving the hospitality industry for nearly a century, the Washington, D.C.-based AH&LA provides members with national issues advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services that provide bottom-line savings. Members receive answers from its industry-leading Information Center, advanced training materials from its Educational Institute, a free subscription to Lodging Magazine and discounts on conferences, certification, services and products.  (WLA members with 50 and under rooms can join AH&LA for a nominal fee.)

For details on WLA membership, click here.

WLA Members save 20-40% on training products and services through AH&LEI, a premier source for quality hospitality education, training and professional certification. 

Take advantage of industry-tested, research-driven, hospitality training programs, available on the Internet or through videos, textbooks, seminars and professional certification.  Train all levelsof hospitality personnel with custom programs to meet your specific training needs.

Click here for AH&LEI hospitality training products and discounts!
Visit the Educational Institute’s website for more information. 

The AH&LA Information Center

Located at the Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston, the AH&LA Info Center is a full-service research facility dedicated to collecting information about the lodging industry. The Information Center provides members with answers to hospitality questions at no cost, usually within three business days.

Much of the information you may need is already available on the AH&LA Information Center's website.  Members can access the History of Lodging in the USA, a current Lodging Industry Profile, Traveler Expenditure Data, a list of the Top 50 Hotel Companies, an array of Frequently Asked Questions, and Industry Links.  Another excellent research tool is the AH&LA Industry Knowledge Base, containing press releases, articles, reports, trends, and more, which is updated daily from a variety of sources.

To take advantage of this valuable resource, complete an Information Request Form or e-mail Tamika Figgs, research manager, AH&LA Information Center.

Want more info? Email us.