Get Involved: Board Applications & Award Nominations Now Open!

As we look ahead to the 2025 MLHA Annual Conference & Trade Show in Missoula, from October 21 to 23, we invite you to help shape the future of our industry by getting involved in two important ways.

Apply for a Board Position:

Are you ready to take the next step in your leadership journey? MLHA is seeking passionate, engaged members to join our Board of Directors. Serving on the board is a rewarding opportunity to represent your peers, influence industry policy, and support the continued growth of Montana’s lodging and hospitality sector.

Four Board positions are up for election in 2025. The terms for the Association's current officers run through 2026. To be deemed qualified to serve on the board, applicants must be a General Manager, Property or Regional Director of Operations, or owner of an Active member property.  The property must have been a member of the association for at least one year.

As a result of recent changes to the MLHA Bylaws, board nominations will remain open until the voting process is completed at the annual business meeting of the membership on October 23, 2025. Individuals may self-nominate. The Nominations Committee will review all applications to confirm eligibility. Information about each qualified candidate will be shared with the membership as it becomes available.  Candidates will be invited to make brief comments at the annual membership meeting before the commencement of voting.

Nominate a Colleague for an MLHA Award:

Know someone who always goes the extra mile? Nominate them for one of MLHA’s annual awards to be presented at the conference. Categories include:

• Lodging Person of the Year
• Sales & Marketing Person of the Year
• Allied Business Member of the Year
• Tourism Friend of the Year
• Heart of Hospitality – Front Line Team Member of the Year

You’re welcome to submit multiple nominations, just use a separate form for each.

Award nominations are due by 5:00 pm. on September 22, 2025. Don’t miss this chance to recognize excellence and step into leadership!

Don’t Miss Out! Register for the 2025 MLHA Conference & Trade Show

The countdown is on! The 2025 MLHA Annual Conference & Trade Show will take place October 21–23 in Missoula at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Join us for three dynamic days of learning, networking, and celebration. From keynote speakers and hands-on breakout sessions to industry updates and the chance to engage with peers and partners, there’s something for everyone.

This year’s Trade Show Kick-Off theme? Back to the Future. Come dressed to impress, whether you’re channeling Marty, Doc, or just your future-forward self!

Make sure to dress your formal 50s best for our Awards Banquet, inspired by the iconic Enchantment Under the Sea prom.

Whether you’re a returning attendee or a first-timer, this is your opportunity to be part of the conversations shaping the future of hospitality in Montana.

Need help logging into MemberClicks to register? Email Ella at ella@benchmarkpublicaffairs.com or Peggy at peggy@mtlha.com, and we’ll get you set up.

Montana Supreme Court Upholds District Court Decision Barring Short-Term Rentals (STRs) 

On July 22, 2025 the Montana Supreme Court upheld a District Court decision that barred short-term rentals (STRs) in the R&R Mountain Escapes v. Neighbors case. The Court clearly ruled that STRs in subdivisions with covenants that clearly prohibit commercial use, nuisances, and require residential single-family use are not permitted, even without a specific durational restriction. 

The case stems from the Neighbors suing after a Florida couple bought a second home in Whitefish, and began short-term renting it as “R&R Mountain Escapes.” Neighbors sued, citing restrictive covenants that prohibited commercial use and required residential, single-family use. The District Court agreed with the Neighbors and barred short-term rentals, but found the covenants to be ambiguous. 

R&R argued that STRs are allowed because covenants don’t specify a duration limit for rentals, there is no express prohibition of rentals, and since the covenants are ambiguous, they should be interpreted in favor of free use of property. The Neighbors argued that STRs violate “country residential living” standards within the covenants, as renting for profit is a commercial use prohibited by the covenants, and that the rentals also violated the nuisance provisions of the covenants.  

The Montana Supreme Court ruled that STRs are prohibited under the subdivision’s covenants. The Court rejected the lower court’s 30-day cutoff but still found R&R’s rentals violated the clear intent and language of the covenants because the covenants mandate private, single-family residential use, prohibit all commercial use, including rentals for profit, ban nuisances, which the rentals created, and require residential country living while R&R’s short-term rental was more akin to a commercial apartment use.  

Read the full case here: https://juddocumentservice.mt.gov/getDocByCTrackId?DocId=529609. 

Key June Trends

Montana Overall: Occupancy declined slightly to 68.5% (from 69.7% in June 2024), and ADR held steady at $162.51 (up from $161.83). RevPAR dropped by -1.7% year-over-year, and total room revenue fell by 3.1%, reflecting softer demand despite stable rates.

Billings: Occupancy decreased to 62.2% (from 63.2%), and ADR dropped to $160.12 (from $163.25), contributing to a RevPAR decline of -0.6%. Total room revenue was down 1.7%, indicating modest softening in regional performance.

Bozeman/Yellowstone: Occupancy dipped to 68.7% (from 72.8%), but ADR remained strong at $158.63. RevPAR was down -5.6%, though year-to-date performance continues to show resilience with sustained rate strength.

Missoula: Occupancy decreased to 66.5% (from 69.5%), while ADR dropped slightly to $148.65 (from $150.57). RevPAR declined by -4.5%, and room revenue dropped by 2.5%, indicating a softening trend in both occupancy and rate.

Helena/Great Falls: Occupancy declined to 67.5% (from 69.2%), with ADR at $128.76 (down from $134.23). RevPAR decreased by -4.2%, and total room revenue fell 3.7%, reflecting slower early summer demand.

Butte: Occupancy edged down to 63.0% (from 63.4%), and ADR fell to $112.76 (from $115.09). RevPAR dropped -3.6%, while total room revenue was down 2.0%, continuing a modest downward trend.

Kalispell/Flathead: Occupancy fell slightly to 71.3% (from 72.4%), but ADR rose to $205.52 (from $193.61). Despite the occupancy dip, RevPAR increased by 2.4%, and total room revenue grew 4.4%, showing strong rate-driven performance in the region.

Updates from the Department of Commerce

The Wood Products Revolving Loan Fund is now accepting new applications under updated program guidelines. The program has transitioned to a loan participation structure for funding requests up to $2 million and will continue to offer direct loans for amounts under $1 million. The application portal will remain open until all available funding has been committed to eligible businesses. Currently, the WP RLF has over $4.1 million available for lending. For any questions or more information, please contact Program Specialist Chris Ryan at chris.ryan@mt.gov. 

The Montana State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 Loan Participation Program application portal for the remaining Tranche Three funds will reopen from July 14, 2025, through August 1, 2025, to deploy the remaining funds. Prospective borrowers are encouraged to start conversations now with their primary or participating lenders to prepare for what is likely the program’s final application window. Future opportunities will be supported through recycled SSBCI 2.0 funds as loans are repaid.

The Montana State Small Business Credit Initiative 2.0 Loan Participation Program-Recycled Funds application is now open and will remain so for the duration of the program, with capital availability contingent on repayments from existing borrowers. A list of participating lenders with funds for recycling can be found on the SSBCI webpage.

Native American Collateral Support Program funding is available: The NACS Program is currently accepting applications, with $116,763.43 in cash funding available. For more information, contact Program Specialist Chris Ryan at chris.ryan@mt.gov or 406-841-2594.

Upcoming Events and Education

"Start Smart: Your Guide to Building a Business" takes place on Aug. 7, 2025, in Billings. Are you dreaming of starting your own business? This workshop is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs who are ready to dive into their journey.

"Learn the Basics of Google Ads" on Aug. 13, 2025, in Billings. In this workshop, you will learn how to reach more customers and grow your business with Google Ads.

Updates from AHLA

The new tax law: what does it mean for you?

After years of intensive advocacy, critical tax measures benefiting the hotel industry were signed into law last week. Provisions AHLA fought for include:

• Permanent extensions of expiring 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions, including the small business deduction/pass-through deduction, 100% bonus depreciation, and expanded business interest deductibility
• Higher estate tax thresholds for family-owned businesses
• Opportunity Zone incentives
• “No tax on tips” and other employee-centric provisions, such as extensions to the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and the Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit

AHLA President & CEO Rosanna Maietta called the tax updates “a game changer for small businesses across all industries,” and said they would give business owners the long-term certainty needed to invest in job-creating growth.

Advocating for a stronger workforce with DOL, DHS

AHLA is continuing its conversations with Cabinet agencies concerning strategies to bolster the industry’s workforce and restore employee counts to pre-pandemic levels. 

With other members of the Critical Labor Coalition, AHLA met this week with senior staff at the U.S. Department of Labor to highlight workforce challenges and offer solutions. AHLA also visited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to discuss the need for additional H-2B visas and ways to expand visa programs to supplement workforce needs, as well as the hotel industry’s efforts to combat human trafficking and preparations to welcome visitors for America 250 and the 2028 Olympic Games. 

Protected status to end Sept. 8 for migrants from Honduras, Nicaragua

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday that Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from Honduras and Nicaragua will end on September 8. The decisions follow President Trump’s directive to review whether conditions in a country designated for TPS continue to warrant protected status. 

Approximately 72,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans currently live in the United States under the TPS program; of those, approximately 21,000 Hondurans and 1,100 Nicaraguans have obtained green cards for permanent residency. 

What’s next? As with other TPS terminations, legal challenges are possible. AHLA will continue to engage with Cabinet agencies and the White House on the impact of eliminating these programs on our industry, and we’ll keep members updated about any further changes. 

Member Benefits

AHLA Allied+ member Jackson Lewis has released its Mid-Year 2025 report. Given the industry’s workplace changes and challenges so far this year, the report focuses on two significant areas to help hoteliers approach compliance strategies and develop near- and long-range business plans with more certainty:

• The Impact of the Trump Administration on Employment Law: a timeline of employment law developments this year, with particular emphasis on how federal-level policies, executive orders, regulations, and agency appointments from the Trump administration are shaping the employment law landscape
• Key Supreme Court Employment Law Cases from This Term: the most significant Supreme Court cases from the 2024-2025 term that affect employers, including insights on how these rulings may influence workplace policies and litigation strategies

Read the report

See what’s next and who’s leading the way at The Hospitality Show

You’re in for a very special edition of The Hospitality Show 2025, happening Oct. 26-28 in Denver! The show floor is shaping up to be packed with bold brands, breakthrough solutions, and some of the most exciting names in the industry.

This year, we’re turning up the momentum with an impressive exhibitor lineup and supplier matchmaking through THS Connect. 

THS Connect offers a curated networking experience, matching qualified buyers with top exhibitors for focused 15-minute 1:1 meetings conveniently held right on the show floor.

Learn more.

Register for The Show