Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association

What Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association does

The Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA), founded in 1925 and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, is the largest provincial hospitality association in Canada. It is a private non-profit that represents over 5,000 members across more than 11,000 hospitality establishments in Ontario, spanning foodservice operators (restaurants, bars, banquet facilities), accommodation providers (hotels, motels, resorts, cottages), hospitality educators, and supplier/associate members. The organization functions as the unified industry voice for Ontario hospitality, with in-house government relations expertise engaging Provincial and Municipal governments on taxation, labour, beverage alcohol, public health, tourism, and municipal by-laws.

ORHMA's core product is its tiered membership program, with annual subscription dues ranging from approximately $169 (chain accommodation) to $695 (suppliers), producing recurring subscription revenue across chain and independent categories. Members receive an integrated benefits stack including the HR Companion portal, Buyer's Guide supplier directory, advocacy representation, networking events, and discounts. Workforce development and training services — including OHI (We Are Hospitality), Be Our Guest, apprenticeship pathways, CPR/First Aid and food safety certification, and the Hospitality Stay Strong mental health portal — broaden the value proposition beyond advocacy into talent pipeline and employee wellbeing. The organization also holds an exclusive training and compliance software partnership with 4S Consulting.

The go-to-market motion is community-led: ORHMA acquires members through its website, industry events, social channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube), and Regional Boards across Ontario. Technology is operational rather than differentiated, consisting of a member portal and partner-provided compliance software (4SafeCom) with no proprietary platforms or AI capabilities. Leadership consists of President & CEO Tony Elenis; governance is provided by a provincial Board of Directors and local Regional Boards.

Name

Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association

Legal name

Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association

Website

https://orhma.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ORHMA is a 1925-founded Canadian non-profit hospitality association representing over 5,000 members and 11,000+ Ontario foodservice, accommodation, educator, and supplier establishments. It provides tiered membership, government advocacy, training, and workforce development programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mississauga

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ORHMA generates revenue through annual membership fees from various hospitality sector categories including foodservice operators (chains and independents), accommodation providers (chains and independents), educators, and supplier/associate members. Fee structures vary by establishment type and size.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ORHMA is a non-profit membership-based hospitality industry association that serves Ontario's foodservice and accommodation sectors. It provides advocacy with provincial and municipal governments, workforce development programs, training and certification services, networking opportunities, and access to resources such as an HR portal, supplier directory, and mental health support. Revenue is generated primarily through tiered annual membership dues paid by restaurants, hotels, motels, resorts, educators, and industry suppliers.

Product overview

ORHMA operates as a hospitality industry association offering a portfolio of membership-based services. The core offering is ORHMA Membership, which provides access to advocacy representation, networking, and discounts for restaurants, hotels, motels, and resorts. Member benefits include the HR Companion Portal for workplace resources and the Buyer's Guide for supplier connections. Workforce development programs include OHI (We Are Hospitality), Be Our Guest, and Apprenticeship Opportunities. Training services encompass CPR & First Aid, Food Safety, and Health & Safety Compliance through 4S Consulting, which provides multilingual CPO-approved training and the 4SafeCom compliance software platform. Additional resources include the Hospitality Stay Strong mental health portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OHI - We Are Hospitality: Hospitality workforce development initiative through career outreach to students in grades 6-12 and post-secondary institutions
• Be Our Guest
• Hospitality Stay Strong

Products and services

• ORHMA Membership Annual membership program for Ontario hospitality businesses, including restaurants, hotels, motels, resorts, and cottage accommodations. Members receive advocacy representation, networking opportunities, discounts on events, industry news updates, and access to value-added services.
• HR Companion Portal Complimentary all-in-one HR portal providing ORHMA members with templates, tools, and workplace support resources for managing HR matters in their hospitality businesses.
• OHI - We Are Hospitality Workforce development initiative that conducts career outreach to students in grades 6-12 and post-secondary institutions, connecting students with hospitality employers across Ontario.
• Be Our Guest Program Immersive learning program that engages secondary school students as active participants in hospitality communities outside the school environment to attract future workforce talent.
• CPR & First Aid Training First Aid and CPR certification programs approved by Ontario WSIB and the Federal Government, provided to hospitality industry workers.
• Food Safety Training Food Handler Online Training and Certification program for hospitality industry employees to meet food safety regulatory requirements.
• Apprenticeship Opportunities Apprenticeship programs that provide a direct path to careers in skilled trades through on-the-job and in-school training for the hospitality sector.
• Health, Safety & Compliance with 4S Consulting Canadian-owned health and safety consulting offering CPO-approved training in 11+ languages, JHSC certification, Working at Heights, WHMIS, and the 4SafeCom compliance software platform for ORHMA member hospitality businesses.
• Hospitality Stay Strong Mental health portal providing hospitality employees, supervisors, and managers with resources, free internet therapy, and webinars to support workplace mental wellness.

Named customers1 record

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• 4S ConsultingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner4S Consulting provides health and safety training and compliance support services exclusively for ORHMA members. Services include CPO-approved training in 11+ languages, Joint Health and Safety Committee certification, Working at Heights, WHMIS, and workplace safety programs. They also provide the 4SafeCom digital compliance software for ORHMA members.
• Ontario GovernmentcoreOthersORHMA represents hospitality industry interests at the Provincial level of government, advocating on taxation, business regulation, beverage alcohol, labour issues, public health, tourism, and municipal by-laws through specialized in-house government relations experts.
• Municipal GovernmentscoreOthersORHMA represents hospitality industry interests at the Municipal level across Ontario, engaging with city governments on issues affecting local hospitality businesses through local Regional Boards.
• Educational InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORHMA collaborates with colleges, educators, and industry partners regarding hospitality program development, changing enrolment trends, and future workforce needs of the industry. The association also supports pathways for international students and hospitality graduates.
• Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)strategicOthersORHMA advocates for a dedicated Hospitality & Tourism pathway under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program to address workforce shortages in the sector.
• Hotel Association of CanadastrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerORHMA works collaboratively with the Hotel Association of Canada on immigration policy advocacy, including participating in Parliament Hill engagements and direct political outreach.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• UKHospitality: UK national trade association representing hotels, restaurants, pubs, and broader hospitality venues. Comparable in mandate (advocacy, training, member services for hospitality operators) but serving the UK market rather than Ontario.
• British Columbia Restaurant & Foodservices Association: Provincial Canadian restaurant trade association serving British Columbia's foodservice industry. Comparable as a Canadian provincial-level peer focused on restaurant operators, but operating in BC rather than Ontario.
• California Restaurant Association: US state-level restaurant trade association providing advocacy, training, and member benefits to California foodservice operators. Comparable structurally to ORHMA as a regional restaurant association, but operating in California.
• Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association: Provincial trade association representing Alberta's accommodation sector, providing advocacy and member services to hotels and lodges. Comparable to ORHMA's accommodation membership tier but serving a different Canadian province.

Direct peers

• Hotel Association of Canada: National Canadian trade association for the hotel and lodging industry, with which ORHMA has an existing strategic partnership on immigration advocacy. Comparable as a national accommodation-focused industry association with overlapping advocacy agenda.
• Restaurants Canada: National Canadian trade association representing the foodservice industry, providing advocacy, training, and member services. Direct national-level peer to ORHMA's foodservice membership and advocacy activities.
• American Hotel & Lodging Association: National US trade association for the hotel and lodging industry, providing advocacy, training, and member services. Directly comparable to ORHMA as a hospitality industry association offering government relations, workforce programs, and member benefits to accommodation providers.
• National Restaurant Association: Leading US trade association for the restaurant industry, offering advocacy, training (ServSafe), research, and member benefits. Comparable to ORHMA's restaurant/foodservice membership tier and advocacy focus on foodservice operators.

Broad incumbents

• Tourism Industry Association of Ontario: Ontario-wide tourism industry association that awarded ORHMA its 2024 OTEC recognition. Comparable as a broader Ontario industry body engaging in advocacy and workforce initiatives, with overlapping member base in hospitality businesses.

Others

• 4S Consulting: Canadian health and safety consulting firm and existing ORHMA strategic partner that delivers multilingual training and 4SafeCom compliance software to hospitality members. Adjacent as an ecosystem partner enabling ORHMA's training service line rather than a competing association.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ORHMA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0yjAIqzDqljcM5LJm24sRQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orhma
• Instagraminstagram.com/weareorhma

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association