CHLA

What CHLA does

CHLA (Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association) is a Denver-based nonprofit trade association founded in 1938 that represents Colorado's hotel industry through advocacy, education, certification training, and networking services. It serves three primary member groups: lodging properties (hotels, resorts, and condo hotels) statewide, allied vendors and suppliers serving the hospitality sector, and Metro Denver-area hotels through its wholly-owned regional subsidiary, the Metro Denver Lodging Council (MDLC). Members include prominent operators such as The Broadmoor, Sage Hospitality Group, The Ritz-Carlton Denver, Sheraton Denver Downtown, Stonebridge Companies, Thompson Denver, and Sonesta Denver Downtown, who also contribute leadership through the Board of Directors.

CHLA's core product surface consists of membership services, annual events (Annual Conference and Readiness Fund Golf Tournament at The Broadmoor, Stars of the Industry Awards Luncheon with 500+ attendees), the CHLA University certification training portfolio (Certified Hospitality Supervisor, Certified Guest Service Gold, Certified Restaurant Server, Certified Maintenance Employee, Certified Front Desk Representative), a scholarship program that awarded $93,000 to 23 students for 2026/2027, and a STR partnership providing benchmarking data. The organization operates on a Novi AMS association management platform that handles member directories, event registration, course enrollment, and communications. Strategic partnerships with AHLA (federal advocacy), the Colorado Tourism Office, VISIT DENVER, Fisher & Phillips LLP (HR/legal education), Duetto (revenue analytics), and eight Colorado universities extend reach and capabilities.

Revenue is generated through per-room lodging membership dues ($11/room annually), MDLC council fees ($750–$1,000 per property), allied vendor membership tiers, event registration and tiered sponsorships, and CHLA University course fees. Advocacy is delivered directly at the state level, through AHLA at the federal level, and through the contracted firm Sewald Hanfling Public Affairs for Denver municipal issues. Operations are run by a small staff (2–5 employees) led by President & CEO Amie Mayhew, with no disclosed revenue figures, funding rounds, M&A activity, or AI/technology development initiatives.

Name

CHLA

Legal name

Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association

Website

https://chla.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CHLA (Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association) is a Denver-based nonprofit trade association founded in 1938 that advocates for, educates, and connects Colorado's lodging properties, allied vendors, and Metro Denver hotels through membership services, certification training, events, and lobbying.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Hospitality trade association
• Hotel industry advocacy
• Lodging membership services
• Hospitality certification training
• Industry networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Lodging Membership Dues: Hotels and resorts pay $11 per room annually for membership benefits including advocacy, education, networking, and access to member resources.
2. MDLC Membership Fees: Metro Denver Lodging Council membership adds $750-$1,000/year depending on property size for lodging members, and $750/year for allied vendor members.
3. Event Registration and Sponsorships: Revenue from annual conferences, golf tournaments, training courses, and awards luncheons. Includes sponsorship packages at various tiers.
4. Education and Training: CHLA University provides certification courses (Certified Hospitality Supervisor, Certified Guest Service Gold, etc.) with registration fees. Some courses supported by Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CHLA is a membership-based trade association providing advocacy, certification training, scholarship funding, and networking services to Colorado's hotel and lodging industry. It collects annual lodging membership dues at $11 per room, offers tiered allied vendor memberships, and runs the CHLA University certification program, annual conferences, awards luncheons, and a scholarship program. The Metro Denver Lodging Council (MDLC) is operated as a regional subdivision for Denver-area hotel advocacy and events.

Product overview

CHLA operates as a trade association for Colorado's hotel industry, not a software product company. Its primary digital offering is a Novi AMS-powered association management website providing member-facing services including: event registration and management (annual conferences, golf tournaments, awards luncheons), CHLA University certification training programs (Certified Hospitality Supervisor, Certified Guest Service Gold, Certified Restaurant Server, Certified Maintenance Employee, Certified Front Desk Representative), member directory access, advocacy resources, scholarship programs, and the Metro Denver Lodging Council (MDLC) regional council. No AI capabilities, public API, or third-party software integrations are documented.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CHLA Lodging Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• $93,000 awarded to 23 hospitality students in 2026/2027 academic year scholarships
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHLA is a proud Partner State Association of AHLA. This partnership provides advocacy at the federal level on labor, immigration, and travel/tourism issues. AHLA monitors and lobbies on behalf of the lodging industry's interests in Washington D.C.
• Colorado Tourism Office (CTO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHLA actively works with the Colorado Tourism Office, a division of the Governor's Office of Economic Development. CTO runs 'Come to Life' marketing campaigns and operates 10 Colorado Welcome Centers. CHLA is a Stewardship Partner in the Care for Colorado program.
• STR (Smith Travel Research)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSTR provides premium data benchmarking, analytics, and marketplace insights for global hospitality sectors. CHLA members receive free benchmarking reports for their market and discounted access to STR data services.
• Hospitality InternshipsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership connects students from over 1,100 global hospitality, tourism, and culinary arts programs with internships and entry-level management positions. Benefits the next generation of hospitality leaders.
• Sewald Hanfling Public AffairscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMDLC contracts with Sewald Hanfling Public Affairs to represent hotels on issues including crime, homelessness, green building requirements, marijuana hospitality establishments, and marijuana delivery at the Denver City level.
• VISIT DENVERmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for CHLA events. VISIT DENVER's mission is to bring conventions and leisure visitors to Denver for the economic benefit of the City and community.
• Propark MobilitymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of CHLA. Propark Mobility is a parking operations company providing services to member properties.
• Standout StaffingmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of CHLA events. Standout Staffing provides staffing services to hospitality properties.
• Fisher & Phillips LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor and employment law firm that conducts annual HR/Employment Legal Seminar for CHLA members covering AI bias, cybersecurity, immigration, hiring/firing, Colorado legal updates, and wage/hour laws.
• DuettominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for 'Colorado Hospitality by the Numbers' webinar providing revenue and profit trend analysis for Colorado hoteliers using HotStats data.
• CHLA Member Universities & CollegescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Colorado Mesa University, Colorado Mountain College, Colorado State University, Front Range Community College, Johnson & Wales University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Denver - Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management, and Western State Colorado University for hospitality education and workforce development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• American Culinary Federation: National professional association for chefs and culinary professionals with comparable membership, certification, and education model. Not a direct competitor but a structural analog in hospitality workforce development.

Direct peers

• Hotel Association of New York City: NYC-focused hotel trade association providing advocacy, training, and labor-relations services for member hotels. Functions as CHLA's urban-density analog with overlapping mission but city-level rather than state-level scope.
• Florida Hotel & Lodging Association: Florida's statewide hotel trade association providing advocacy, education, and member services comparable to CHLA's offering, with the addition of tourism-policy focus given Florida's leisure-tourism economy.
• Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association: State trade association for Illinois hotels offering advocacy, education, and networking — a comparable size and scope peer to CHLA serving a similar mix of urban and resort markets.
• Texas Hotel & Lodging Association: State hotel trade association for Texas offering advocacy, certification training (through its own educational arm), and annual conferences — directly comparable to CHLA's service mix and member base.
• California Hotel & Lodging Association: State-level hotel trade association for California, operating the same dues, advocacy, education, and event-based model as CHLA but at much larger scale. Direct functional peer in the same category.

Regional players

• VISIT DENVER: Denver's destination marketing organization and a major CHLA event sponsor. Operates in the same regional ecosystem with overlapping member base (Denver hotels) but functions as a CVB rather than a trade association.

Others

• U.S. Travel Association: National nonprofit representing the broader U.S. travel industry, including hotels, airlines, and destinations. Adjacent rather than direct — overlaps on advocacy but not on member-services or dues structure.

Broad incumbents

• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA): National trade association for the U.S. lodging industry and CHLA's formal federal-level partner. Operates the same membership, advocacy, and education model at the national scale, making it the closest structural peer.
• American Resort Development Association (ARDA): National trade association for the vacation ownership and resort industry. Adjacent to CHLA's hospitality focus, with overlapping advocacy and education programs but a timeshare-specific lens.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coloradolodging
• Facebookfacebook.com/coloradohotelandlodging

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CHLA