Fairmont

IHG to Add 58 Hotels in Southwest Asia Over Five Years

Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix expects lower attendance in 2023 but higher receipts compared to pre-Covid levels, with foreign attendees driving up hotel room rates. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is expanding into New Zealand, adding three properties to its portfolio in the Oceania region. Mana Hotels expands beyond Rajasthan with a new homestay in Rishikesh, while IHG Hotels & Resorts plans to add more hotels to its Indian portfolio, with a focus on Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands.

Great Wolf Chooses Maryland for Its Largest Resort

Stock market performance: DJIA, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 rose while the 10-year treasury yield was down. Lodging industry updates: Sonder Holdings downgraded, EF Hutton assumes coverage of Selina Hospitality, Ryman Hospitality Properties acquires JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. New hotel developments: Chartwell Hospitality and Rockbridge developing three new hotels, Innisfree Hotels and RREAF Holdings open Fairfield Inn & Suites Pensacola Beach, Great Wolf Resorts opens Great Wolf Lodge Maryland.

Pebblebrook Sees Demand Soften a Bit

Stock market: DJIA fell 219 points, Nasdaq was down 138, and S&P 500 fell 34 points. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust warns of weaker weekend leisure travel and expects slightly lower 2Q revenue. Various hotel announcements: HHM Hotels launches Echelon Luxury & Lifestyle division, Driftwood Capital acquires Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park, LBA Hospitality opens Homewood Suites by Hilton in Greenville, Renaissance Cleveland undergoing renovations, and more.

What Do Guests Want? Connected Rooms

Stock market summary: DJIA up 429 points, Nasdaq up 156, S&P 500 up 53. Increased demand for connecting rooms and suites in hotels due to multigenerational family and group travel. Acquisitions and expansions: Fairmont Hot Springs Resort acquired for $40 million, Rimrock Resort Hotel acquired for $170 million with renovations planned, and Bluegreen Vacations expanding accommodations across various properties.

Marriott's Next New Midscale Brand

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.

Saudi Arabia Signs to Get IHG, Accor and Rotana Hotels

STR reported China hotel data for the week ended May 6. Hotel RevPAR in China was up 140.9% year over year. The South China Morning Post said Macau’s casinos are still struggling with finding labor as hotel rooms stay shut and the resorts are unable to fully satiate the booming demand from mainland China tourists . Araiya Hotels and Resorts and Kamakhya Hospitality Services Private Limited announced plans for a new urban resort Soul by Araiya, Dharamshala, A Kamakhya Hotel , anticipated to open in Q4 2023.

Vietnamese Outbound Travel Rises Sharply

Vietnamese travelers are said to be opting for outbound tours due to the significant increase in the price of domestic flights as the holiday season approaches, according to travel agents and tour operators. The South China Morning Post said hotel room rates in Hong Kong are surging ahead of the Labour Day holiday. The number of visitor arrivals to Macau in March rose by 271.4% year over year to 1,956,867, according to the Statistics and Census Service.

The Strong State of U.S. Hotels

CBRE released its US Hotels State of the Union March 2023 Edition . Key takeaways include February marked nine consecutive months of easing inflation. Baird said that with industry wide March RevPAR being better than expected, it de-risked 1Q23 earnings a bit, and the trade is likely higher into the earnings prints. Jefferies said they continue to believe Host Hotels is best-positioned among peers to generate growth and expanding cash flows irrespective of macro challenges and has yet to receive valuation credit.

Record Sign-Ups for Hotel Loyalty Programs

Heading into the upcoming 1Q earnings season, JP Morgan said they expect relative upside in 1Q23 RevPAR results and, for the C-Corps, at least in-line net rooms growth with both operating metrics benefiting from improvements in China. A record number of loyalty program members should help hotel brands lower their customer acquisition costs, increased direct-to-consumer engagement and offset any occupancy shortfalls during an economic downturn. Corporate travel spending is tracking toward full recovery to 2019 levels by 2024 or 2025 , but higher costs and climate concerns will keep trip volumes smaller than pre-pandemic levels in real terms.