Disney Parks

Last week BP plc completed the acquisition of TravelCenter of America Inc . Service Properties Trust received $379.3 million in cash as part of the transaction. Sonder Holdings was cut to Perform from Outperform by Oppenheimer and InterContinental Hotels Group was upgraded to Neutral from Sell by Redburn. The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index rose 1.4% in April from March. The Hotel Brand sub-index rose 2.5% from March while the Hotel REIT sub-index was down -2.6%.

Upper upscale hotels, the property types most associated with business travel, are well represented in the U.S. development pipeline . According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Travel Study 2022-2023, satisfaction across all four industries measured, airlines, hotels, car rentals, and online travel agencies, is up . STR reported US lodging data for the week ended 4/15. US hotel RevPAR was up 8.6% year over year.

Craig-Hallum initiated coverage of LuxUrban Hotels with a Buy rating and a $10 price target. A New York hotel union reached a deal with hotel owners and operators, boosting the wages of hospitality workers by $7.50 an hour, the largest increase in the union’s 100-year history . Beginning this month, Waldorf Astoria Orlando in Florida will undergo a comprehensive, multi-phase re-imagination expected to debut in December 2023.

Red Roof will open 50 properties, new builds and conversions , in 2023, representing 60% year-on-year growth. The Greater Las Vegas Short-Term Rental Association wants the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of short-term rental regulations in Clark County, Nevada. The newly minted penny stocks, VCSA and SOND, both traded down to new lows, dropping another -4% and -7% respectively. SLNA hit a new low, down another -7%.

Walt Disney World’s Star Wars hotel has seen demand cool so dramatically that the Florida theme park giant has been forced to reduce dates during the busy Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. Membership Collective Group reported strong 4Q results, a profitable quarter, today STR reported U.S. lodging data for the week ended March 4. Hotel RevPAR was up 12.1% year over year for the week.

voco hotels celebrated 100 properties signed and opened globally. The emerging IHG Hotels & Resorts’ brand reached the milestone in just five years after its first-ever hotel opening. Island Hospitality Management announced the company added 14 hotels to its third-party management portfolio during 2022. Moxy Williamsburg debuted today as the brand’s first hotel in Brooklyn, New York.

Marriott Vacations missed expectations with their 4Q report, primarily due to their exchange and rental businesses as their core VOI business outperformed. Chatham Lodging Trust reported an in-line 4Q for EBITDA. They did not give 2023 guidance. Accor reported good results and forecast higher RevPAR for 2023 , very optimistic due to the return of the Chinese traveler.

Lodging stocks were lower: There was only one mover of note, SLNA with a -6% drop getting near an all-time low today, but there was a sea of red on the screen today. DiamondRock Hospitality reported a solid 4Q. DRH had given preliminary results in January but still beat expectations even with comparable RevPAR below consensus as margins made up the difference. IHG reported a good quarter but the highlight was the announcement of a $750 million share buyback for 2023

Morgan Stanley re-launched coverage on the lodging sector, saying they prefer C-Corps over REITs . Truist updated their estimates and price targets on some hotel names in their coverage. According to the NY Daily News, more than 10,000 Airbnb listings for short-term rentals in New York City are likely to disappear when tight new housing rules take effect next year.