Melia Hotels International

North America

Choice Hotels Buys Back Stock and Boosts Dividend

Choice Hotels International reported solid 1Q results, better than expectations. In the good old days, when stocks actually moved up and down based on fundamentals. Deutsche Bank upped their target price on Ryman Hospitality to $128 from $126 and reiterated their Buy rating. The Four Seasons Hotel Boston has reopened following the completion of a dramatic design update of its arrival area, lobby and port cochere.
Asia-Pacific

Cambodia to Revive Coastal Tourism Projects

A white paper on the Corporate Travel Management Market said some 84.5% of companies in China are expecting an increase in domestic travel business budgets for 2023 . Cambodia is making plans to finish developing large tourist areas along its coast on the Gulf of Thailand. Dusit Hotels and Resorts is set to expand its global and domestic footprints by opening three hotels in the next 30 days, including two new properties in Bangkok.
North America

Host Hotels' Sparkling Balance Sheet

The earnings calendar accelerated in both the REIT and C-Corp section in the past 24 hours. Hyatt received the most attention with a clean beat but then some concerns creeping in. Host Hotels had a lousy two days to issue a great report with a clean and positive beat and raise. Summit Hotels came in just under consensus even with a strong top-line performance as higher hotel-level expenses hurt results.
North America

Hyatt Buys Boutique Booking Platform

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.
North America

Hyatt Announces Major Mexico Expansion

TD Cowen upped their price targets on Hilton to $142 from $140 and Marriott to $172 from $170. HVS gave their findings from the Hunter Conference . HVS said early 2023 comparisons continue to look favorable with easy comparisons in 1Q due to last year’s Omicron outbreak. Canada’s hotel performance increased from the previous month, with February RevPAR exceeding C$100 for the first time on record
Asia-Pacific

Phuket Gets Boost From Russian Travelers

Malaysia reopened its borders nearly a year ago and finally its hotel industry is getting back to pre-pandemic occupancy levels. The resort island of Phuket in Thailand has seen a surge of Russian travelers in the high season. That adds to a jump in regional visitation from India , Malaysia and Singapore . Reuters published an article on how the belief that airline stocks and online travel agencies would be the best Chinese travel reopening play was wrong.
North America

U.S. Interest Rate Increase Pushes Lodging Stocks Lower

STR gave U.S. lodging data for the week ended 3/18. US hotel RevPAR rose 10.4% year over year. When compared with the same week in 2019, US hotel RevPAR was up 20.8%. We can’t tell if the markets genuinely hate U.S. Fed Chief Jerome Powell or if the guy should just have a stand-in for his press conferences. Redburn Partners lowered its rating on InterContinental Hotels Group to Sell. UBS Group downgraded shares of Melia Hotels International from a Buy rating to a Sell rating.
Asia-Pacific

Vietnam to Relax Visa Rules to Boost Visitors

Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh instructed his cabinet to relax certain visa requirements in a bid to attract more foreign tourists to the country. The Economic Times said many more hotels will be signed in India this year  compared to last year with some chains even considering doubling their signing numbers from last year. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced strong growth in Asia Pacific as it closed out 2022, diversifying its offerings for guests and owners across the region.
Asia-Pacific

Debut of Aman's Sister Brand Janu

Savills Vietnam issued a report saying despite improvements in 2022, occupancy and room rates in Ho Chi Minh City have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels . Thai hotel operators are ramping up plans to expand investment at home and abroad according to Nikkei. The huge fire in Hong Kong Thursday night into Friday which received so much attention was the 48 story luxury Kimpton Hong Kong hotel that is under construction in Tsim Sha Tsui .
North America

Four Seasons Opening Private Retreats Collection in Los Cabos

Morgan Stanley changed price targets on its covered hotel companies . Hilton’s PT was lowered to $167 from $171, while Wyndham’s PT was upped to $90 from $87. Chatham Lodging Trust announced they repaid in full three mortgages with outstanding principal of $73.3 million and a weighted average interest rate of 8%. Four Seasons Resort and Residences Los Cabos at Costa Palmas will begin taking reservations for its ultra-luxury Private Retreats collection soon.