Hilton Hotels & Resorts

North America

Hotel Business Has Returned to Pre-Pandemic Levels

The  DJIA was up 193, Nasdaq was up 70, the S&P 500 was up 26 points and the 10-year treasury yield was up .03 to 3.29%. According to the D.C. Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the hotel industry in Washington, D.C. , has largely returned to pre-pandemic business and most of that bounce back has come only in recent months. Accor and SHe Travel Club announced a partnership aiming to re-imagine the female travel and hospitality experience.
Asia-Pacific

Hyatt Hotels’ Asia Pacific Property Pipeline

Hyatt Hotels Corp announced plans for its continued growth in the Asia Pacific market. They unveiled a robust pipeline of landmark luxury and lifestyle hotels and resorts. CEL Australia has listed The Sebel Hotel Mandurah for sale as Western Australia reopens to the world post-pandemic. Andrew Tan’s flagship property firm Megaworld is opening a new Belmont Hotel within the 30-hectare Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
North America

Equity Markets Make a Dramatic Recovery

The equity markets made a dramatic recovery considering investors in Treasuries gave the Fed a no-confidence raspberry, not liking the comments from one of the Governors today at all. Finishing touches are wrapping up on the Virgin Hotel, a 28-story tower in Midtown, Manhattan. K&K Hotel Group is planning to build a new Hampton Inn & Suites in Shenandoah, TX.
Asia-Pacific

Chengdu Covid Fears Spurs Lock Down

STR reported China hotel RevPAR was up 48.2% year over year against very easy comps. When compared with this week in 2019, RevPAR was down -20.4%. Absolute occupancy in China last week was 59.1% versus 43.1% in the same week last year. Chengdu reported 1,000 Covid cases and the Southwestern city in China has pretty much been sealed off. About 70% of the flights have been suspended to and from the city. Hong Kong is targeting an end to hotel quarantine in November , ahead of a summit of global bankers and an international rugby competition.
North America

Short-Term Rental Demand Is Up

The  DJIA  ended the day down 280 points while  Nasdaq  was down 67, the  S&P 500 fell 31 points and the 10 year treasury yield was up .02 to 3.13%. Lodging stocks were lower.  MCG  fell -8% today and hit a new all time low.  SOND  was up 5%. STR  said  U.S. hotel RevPAR  for the week ending August 27 th  was up 18.2%.  RevPAR versus the same week in 2019 was up 12.1%. Speaking during a session at the  Hotel Data Conference ,  AirDNA Director of Product Max Bernstein  said as of June 2022,  demand for short-term rentals  is up 21% indexed to 2019
North America

Business Travel Sentiment Still Lags

The positive start to the day deteriorated quickly with the DJIA ending the day down 308 points, while Nasdaq was down 135 and the S&P 500 fell 44 points. The 10-year Treasury yield ended the day flat at 3.11%. VCSA was the only major mover, down -9% on the day. STR’s consumer research in July 2022 produced telling insights into the state of business travel worldwide. Roughly 400 global business travelers were asked to thank about their likelihood to travel for business both now and when the pandemic is over, the results, remained in negative territory. A recently released Global Travel Association report cites global business travel coming back albeit against significant headwinds.
North America

Wells Fargo Changes Lodging Coverage

The  DJIA fell 184 points, Nasdaq was down 124, the S&P 500 was down 27 points and the 10-year treasury yield was up .08 to 3.11%. Wells Fargo made a few changes to their coverage of lodging names . They cut their ratings on Hersha Hospitality, DiamondRock Hospitality and Pebblebrook Hotel Trust to Equal Weight from the previous Overweight ratings Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts unveiled its new brand creative platform, Luxury Is Our Love Language , celebrating the brand’s unique and energetic perspective on the definition of luxury.
North America

New U.S. Lodging Per Diems Disappoint

Fed Chief Jerome Powell once again roiled the financial markets with a speech. JP Morgan cut its view on IHG Hotels & Resorts to Neutral from Overweight. Hoteliers did not seem very pleased with the US General Services Administration’s increase in lodging per diems for 2023.
North America

U.S. Group Bookings Increase While Biz Travel Lags

The  DJIA  rose 323 points while  Nasdaq  jumped 208, the  S&P 500  rose 59 points, and the  10-year Treasury yield  took a breather, down .08 to 3.03%. Inflation, energy prices, supply chain challenges, labor shortages, and regional developments are  pushing the forecast for full recovery into 2026,  instead of the previously forecasted 2024. According to the latest monthly data from  STR  and  CoStar , the number of  groups booking U.S. hotel rooms  continued to increase in June, although individual business travel continued to lag.
North America

Global Hotel Groups Are Sitting on Piles of Cash

The  DJIA  rose 61 points,  Nasdaq  was up 50, the  S&P 500  was up 12 points and the  10-year Treasury yield  is quickly rising to where it peaked in June, up another .05 to 3.11%. STR said US RevPAR  for the week ended 8/20 was up 16.9% versus the same week last year. Global hotel groups are holding near-record amounts of cash.  Seven of the best-known hotel groups were collectively sitting on about $7.3 billion in cash and short-term investments as of the end of June .