AH&LA LAUNCHES GRATUITY GUIDE

Industry Partner, Forbes Travel Guide, Supports Initiative Washington, November 25, 2013 – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the sole U.S. association representing all segments of the lodging industry, is releasing a guide covering gratuity rates for a broad array of service areas, including parking attendants, doormen, housekeepers, and room service. Released in time for the busy holiday travel season, the guide helps guests determine voluntary monetary ranges for services rendered by hotel staff throughout a guest’s stay. Among the recommendations: • Tip concierges from $5-10, depending on how involved the service (booking a restaurant versus hard-to-get tickets) or a lump sum upon departure. • Tip housekeepers and housemen $1-5 per night. The tip should be left daily in a marked envelope or with a note. • For special requests (like an extra blanket), tip $4 for one item, $1 for more. Tipping is not required for someone fixing something broken or bringing something missing. “The hotel industry is an area of high career growth, and for many of our 1.8 million U.S. hotel employees it is the pathway to the American dream,” said Katherine Lugar, AH&LA president/CEO. “AH&LA’s Gratuity Guide provides guests with valuable information on how to best acknowledge superior service – at their discretion – received during their hotel stay.” According to Michael Cascone, president, Forbes Travel Guide, which is promoting the guide, “Hotel staff are the heartbeat of luxury hospitality. When service goes above and beyond expectations, gratuities represent a deserved reflection of a guest's appreciation. A gratuity can be a monetary gift, and is often accompanied by a written note of appreciation. At luxury hotels, it is not unheard of for guests to occasionally lavish high value gifts on hotel employees in recognition of exemplary service.” To download a copy of the AH&LA Gratuity Guide, visit www.ahla.com.

DeLauro Statement on Bread for The World’s 2014 Hunger Report Ending Hunger in America Calls for A 50 Percent Reduction in 10 Years

DeLauro Statement on Bread for The World’s 2014 Hunger Report Ending Hunger in America Calls for A 50 Percent Reduction in 10 Years NEW HAVEN, CT—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) released the following statement today on Bread for the World’s 2014 hunger report: Ending Hunger in America. DeLauro is a longtime champion for nutrition and anti-hunger programs. Earlier this month, she led a letter urging the Farm Bill conferees not to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. “This report lays out several important recommendations and makes clear that we must act to end the scourge that is hunger in America. Just as we have taken on the challenge of eradicating hunger worldwide, we must devote ourselves to doing so at home. My congressional colleagues should take special note of two of the recommendations in particular: increasing the minimum wage and improving SNAP outreach. “In this Thanksgiving week I hope everyone takes an extra moment to think about how we can be doing more to help the poorest and most vulnerable in our country. I urge the members of Congress debating a final Farm Bill: do not cut food stamps, do not increase hunger in America.” The report lays out recommendations in several areas: • Getting to Full Employment • A Fair Deal For Workers • Inclusion for the Excluded and Denied • Local Leaders Working with National Partners to End Hunger • Ending Extreme Poverty and Hunger Worldwide