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North America
Sonesta to Reflag Two Properties to The James Brand
Lodging stocks were mixed but the biggest movers were to the upside. VCSA and SLNA both rose 6% on the day. The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index fell -10% in December. That put all of 2022 down -15% from 2021. The Hotel Brand sub-index was down -9.2% in December from November while the Hotel REIT sub-index was down -12.8% Sonesta International Hotels Corporation announced the expansion of its global development strategy to include The James brand as part of the Sonesta Franchise portfolio in the U.S. and in Latin America. -
North America
Jefferies Downgrades Marriott and Hilton
Jefferies downgraded both Marriott and Hilton to Hold , leaving only Wyndham with a Buy rating in their C-Corp coverage. They continue to favor Host Hotels and Hersha Hospitality. 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay is opening on February 15 on Kauai’s north shore. The resort will be the flagship hotel for 1 Hotels. The DJIA fell 113 points, Nasdaq was up 66, the S&P 500 was down 3 points and the 10-year treasury yield was down .05 to 3.52%. How was that for a mixed market? -
North America
Tech Sector Weakness Contributes to Corp. Bookings Price Pressure
Truist gave their observations on the latest forward-looking booking and pricing trends for US hotels and checks with contacts. STR’s global “bubble chart” update through November 19, 2022 showed the strongest performance of the year thus far. The U.S. Travel Association’s latest biannual travel forecast shows a downgrade in international inbound travel for the remainder of this year and for 2023. -
North America
DiamondRock Beats Preliminary Results
DiamondRock Hospitality reported 3Q results, beating the preliminary results they announced two weeks ago. Jefferies cut its rating on Xenia Hotels & Resorts to Hold from Buy. Lodging stocks were mixed. SLNA plunged another -20%, quickly becoming the biggest disaster in a long line of SPAC disappointments in the past year -
Asia-Pacific
Maldives’ Outlook Downgraded Despite Tourism Recovery
Fitch Ratings revised the Maldives’ outlook to Negative from Stable while affirming its Long Term Currency Issuer Default Rating at B-. Hilton announced plans to expand the presence of Conrad Hotels & Resorts through Conrad Singapore Orchard . Singapore’s Far East Organization is planning to develop a new hotel in Sydney’s Rocks district , with a proposal to redevelop the Clocktower Square with a luxury new property. -
Asia-Pacific
Standard International Seeks APAC Expansion
Dajia Insurance Group Co has put three hotels in the US up for sale, hoping to generate US$1.3 billion to take advantage of an expected surge in leisure travel and resort business. U.S. hotel operator Standard International is betting on Thailand’s post-pandemic tourism recovery. Bloomberg said Standard is hoping to power an expansion in Asia that will see it open properties in popular and less-explored destinations. The new $340 million dual-tower Docklands development in Melbourne, Australia will include a huge rooftop infinity pool, spanning 35 meters when it opens in 2026. -
North America
July Room Rates Hit New High
According to July 2022 data from STR , the U.S. hotel industry reported record-high monthly room rates on a nominal basis. Raymond James believes the recovery in global travel still has plenty of room to run. They believe this is the earliest stage of what is set up to be a multi-year fundamental recovery in global travel. A 13-F filing from Sunstone Hotels showed Blackstone Group had taken a 4.1% stake in SHO.