Courtyard by Marriott

The hospitality industry is experiencing optimism and cautiousness, with hotels considering divesting assets and anticipating a potential distressed sale boom. Hoteliers are optimistic about increasing demand, but face challenges such as high-interest rates, labor shortages, and decreased construction activity. The U.S. hotel forecast shows improvements in occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR, while hotels are offering incentives to combat staffing shortages. International visitor arrivals to the U.S. continue to rise, with Mexico and Canada leading the way.

Marriott International, Sonesta International Hotel Corporation, and Pyramid Global Hospitality , announced plans for expansion and introduced new brands in different locations, including Latin America, Canada, and several U.S. states. Accor highlighted the progress of its branded residences business, with numerous projects under development worldwide, including Dubai, Australia, and South Korea. The Plasencia Group facilitated the sale of The Westin Tampa Bay, and Dan Hansen returned from retirement to lead Hyatt's new mid-market extended-stay brand, Hyatt Studios, with a significant development pipeline.

Market surge: DJIA and Nasdaq experience significant gains, with the DJIA surging 701 points and the stronger-than-expected jobs report contributing to the rise. Airbnb lawsuit: Airbnb files a lawsuit against New York City over a new law that the company claims will limit short-term rentals and make it more difficult for hosts to do business. Hotel openings and acquisitions: Several hotel brands announce new openings and acquisitions, including WoodSpring Suites, Sonesta, and Margaritaville, expanding their presence in different cities and states.

Stock market indices experienced gains, with DJIA, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 rising while the 10-year treasury yield decreased. Truist's RevPAR Monitor highlighted positive and negative trends in the hotel industry, including the recovery of group travel and sluggish corporate individual business/transient segment. Various hotel-related announcements were made, including the launch of IHG's Wi-Fi Auto Connect feature, expansion of Saks Fifth Avenue's personal shopping service to luxury resorts, and the opening of new hotels by Hyatt, IHG, Palisociety, and others.

US hotels surpass pre-pandemic revenue levels in Q1 2023, with a 13% increase compared to 2019, driven by higher room rates. Despite concerns of a recession and liquidity crisis, US hotels continue to perform well, with leisure travel showing strength and business travel gradually returning. Significant hotel developments and renovations are underway in various US cities, including new acquisitions, expansions, and upgrades to enhance guest experiences.

STR reported US RevPAR for the week ended May 13 was down -1.3% year over year, possibly impacted by Mother’s Day timing. CBRE is again raising its forecast for hotel performance this year . The company has revised its forecast for 2023 RevPAR to $97.89, up 6.0% YOY and an increase of $0.43 from its previous forecast. Hilton announced the opening of Canopy by Hilton San Francisco SoMA .

Apple Hospitality and Xenia Hotels were the next up to report earnings. APLE beat expectations and continues to be one of the few hotel REITs reporting EBITDA above 2019 levels. XHR also beat expectations on a higher top line with RevPAR growth of 23.9%. STR reported US lodging data for the week ended April 29. Year over year hotel RevPAR was up 5.6%.

JP Morgan upgraded their rating on Accor to Neutral from Underweight with a price target of €30, up from €24.50. Hyatt Hotels Corporation  and  Mr & Mrs Smith  announced an agreement for a Hyatt affiliate to acquire Mr & Mrs Smith, a platform offering direct booking access to boutique hotels.

Macau saw over 93,000 tourists come to the SAR on Saturday over the Easter weekend. Macau tourism officials continue to try to narrow the gap between current visitation and 2019. Macau average hotel occupancy was about 75% in March . Officials are expecting up to 90% occupancy during the upcoming Labor Day holiday. Accor has 56 operating hotels in India . They entered the country almost two decades ago in 2004. Accor’s vision is to have 200 in five years’ time.