At its annual convention underway this week in suburban Washington, DC, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association issued its annual report card on how hotel franchise companies are complying with AAHOA’s notion of fair lodging franchising. This year, instead of issuing grades or other analysis of how the brands are doing, AAHOA invited the chains to explain their programs to support their franchisees and members in this tough economic climate.

The result is a compilation of reports from 11 chains that AAHOA is supplying to its members verbatim, without editing or comment from the group’s leadership or staff. Some of the reports were very specific in addressing how the chains stack up to AAHOA’s 12 Points of Fair Franchising standard. Others skirted the fairness issue and instead explained what marketing and support programs they’ve implemented in light of the steep downturn in lodging business. Most chains have amped up their marketing plans, and several of them have relaxed implementation deadlines for chain-mandated product improvements.

According to AAHOA Chairman Ash Patel, the group’s 9,300 members will be able to review the reports on the AAHOA website to give them a “concise snapshot of what each chain is doing in these critical areas. We’ll see what feedback we get from the members to determine whether we use this approach again, return to our former method or find a new way.”

All franchise and membership brand companies received invitations to contribute. Eleven companies—Accor, AdVantis, Best Western, Boomerang, Choice, Country Inns & Suites, IHG, La Quinta, Red Roof, Vantage and Wyndham—did so. Oddly, several large brand companies—Hilton, Marriott and Starwood—and a few smaller ones chose not to participate in the exercise.