Hispanic Hotel Owners Association

The Latino Hotel Association (LHA) is a professional body dedicated to fostering the growth and empowerment of Latino and Hispanic individuals within the global hospitality industry. Launched in 2010, the LHA continued the foundational work of the Hispanic Hotel Owners Association (HHOA), an organization Angela Gonzalez-Rowe established in 2006 to increase Latino hotel ownership and participation in the U.S. Ms. Gonzalez-Rowe founded the LHA and served as its president, expanding its focus to a worldwide scale. The LHA’s core mission centers on expanding Latino ownership, leadership, and commerce within the hotel sector. It achieves this by providing essential education, networking opportunities, and advocacy. Since 2015, under the leadership of CEO Lynette Montoya, the association has intensified its efforts to equip Latino entrepreneurs with the resources, training, and connections necessary to build wealth through hotel ownership and investment. Its key initiatives include comprehensive educational courses, such as LHA 101, 201, and 301, which guide aspiring hoteliers through industry operations, finance, and investment strategies. The association also publishes the annual Latino Hotel and Entrepreneurship Investment (LHEI) Report. This report provides crucial data on Hispanic entrepreneurship, identifying both opportunities and barriers in hotel ownership. The LHA actively collaborates with major hotel franchise companies and strategic partners, advocating for policies that support greater Latino representation and emphasizing business ownership as a vital pathway to generational wealth.