Skip to content

ALP Academy

Practical, hands-on learning for independent lodging professionals

ALP Academy is a quarterly learning series designed to help independent lodging professionals build skills, explore new ideas, and walk away with practical tools they can put to use right away. Each Lab focuses on a specific topic and includes live instruction, real-world examples, and simple homework that helps participants apply what they learn.

Featured Lab

AI Essentials

Simple, practical AI tools you can use right now

Live Zoom Sessions
July 13, 20, 27, 2026
1:00 p.m. ET

Instructor: Liz Hamilton, Maia Internet Consulting

This 3-week Lab helps lodging professionals use AI in a way that feels simple, practical, and true to their brand without adding unnecessary complexity or sounding generic.

Through live Zoom sessions, instructor demos, and hands-on homework, participants will learn how to train AI to reflect their unique business voice and create real, ready-to-use content—from guest emails to marketing pieces to blog posts—quickly, confidently, and authentically.

What You'll Learn

Week 1: Guest Communication with AI

Start where it matters most—your guest experience.

  • Build your custom AI Business Profile so your content sounds like you
  • Draft your most-used guest emails:
    • Confirmation
    • Pre-arrival
    • Thank-you
  • Adjust tone (warm, professional, playful) while keeping it authentic

Week 2: Marketing Content Made Easy

Turn AI into your marketing assistant.

  • Create customer personas for your ideal guests
  • Write seasonal package descriptions
  • Draft short promo blurbs for newsletters
  • Generate social captions tied to your offers and events

Week 3: Blogging with AI

Create content that works for you long after it’s published.

  • Brainstorm blog topics that drive SEO and guest interest
  • Generate a full blog draft using AI
  • Refine it to match your voice
  • Repurpose it into newsletter and social content

What You’ll Walk Away With

By the end of this lab, you won’t just “understand AI”—you’ll have real, usable content in hand:

  • Your personalized AI Business Profile
  • 2 customer personas
  • 1 guest email + 1 social caption
  • 1 marketing piece (package, promo, or newsletter content)
  • 1 blog article draft ready to publish

Registration and pricing

  • Complimentary for most ALP members
  • Digital Lodging Professional members: $149
  • Nonmembers: $199

How It Works

  • 3 live, virtual sessions (1 hour each)
  • Interactive and hands-on—you’ll build as you go
  • Real-time examples and practical application
  • Access to a private group space to share ideas and get feedback

There will be light weekly homework designed to help you apply what you learned right away. The more you put in, the more you’ll walk away with.

Who This Is For

Independent lodging professionals who:

  • Want to save time on writing and marketing
  • Feel overwhelmed by AI or unsure where to start
  • Want content that sounds authentic—not generic
  • Are ready to actually use AI, not just learn about it

Upcoming Labs

ALP Academy continues with quarterly Labs designed to support growth across guest experience, operations, marketing, technology, and more.

July 2026

AI Essentials
Instructor: Liz Hamilton, Maia Internet Consulting

October 2026

DIY Marketing Lab
Instructor: Annie Buck, ThinkReservations

January 2027

Culinary Creations
Instructor: Carol Edmondson, Inn Advisors

April 2027

Accounting & Financial Management
Instructor: Tyler Otto, Specialized Accounting

Why ALP Academy

ALP Academy is built for busy lodging professionals who want practical, relevant education they can use right away. Each Lab is focused, interactive, and designed to help participants leave with ideas they can actually implement.

It is hands-on, approachable, and created specifically for the realities of independent lodging.