Sonder Holdings Inc.

U.S. Hotel Performance Stays Strong

The DJIA rose 75 points, Nasdaq was up 117, the S&P 500 gained 12 points and the 10-year treasury yield was down another .09 to 3.41%. Lodging stocks were mixed. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust gave a 1Q operating update, showing the quarter is in line with their recent guidance. Tourism to and from the U.S . has gradually recovered in 2022 without fully returning to pre-pandemic levels, according to the Commerce Department.

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.

Red Roof to Add 50 Properties This Year

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%.

A Sad Sack of Lodging SPACs Struggling as Public Companies

In an amazing recovery from over 700 points down, the DJIA ended the day down only 280 points while Nasdaq rallied to end up 6. Vacasa’s stock price plunged well into penny stock category, joining Sonder, before recovering somewhat, ending the day down -25%. Braemar Hotels & Resorts and Ashford Hospitality Trust both issued press releases, clarifying that their cash holdings are safe . STR reported US lodging data for the week ended 3/11. US hotel RevPAR was up 11.1% year over year.

Marriott Cleared to Acquire City Express Portfolio

If you are wondering about who in the sector has exposure to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank , Sonder Holdings confessed to having $2 million in an operating cash account and approximately $20 million in deposit accounts with SIVB. Marriott International, Inc. received approval from Mexico’s Federal Economic Competition Commission for the acquisition of the City Express brand portfolio from Hoteles City Express, S.A.B. de C.V. According to a new report from HVS , hotel operators need to learn to manage the entire building they operate and start thinking of performance in terms of the total revenue or profit per available square meter.

Biden's New Budget Triggers Equity Market Drops

Baird lowered their price target on Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to $86 from $88 while maintaining their Outperform rating. Barclays cut their rating on Hyatt Hotels to Equal Weight from Overweight. They cut their price target to $125 from $130. They upped Hilton to an Overweight rating from Equal Weight. Travel + Leisure Co . announced their upped their quarterly dividend per share to $0.45 per share from $0.40.

Hotels Spend Big on Renovations and Expansions

Truist lowered their price target on Park Hotels & Resorts to $19 from $20 while maintaining their Buy rating. BRE Hotels & Resorts and The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua are celebrating the recent success of the property following a $100 million transformation. The iconic Fairmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver, Canada, is looking to expand with an annex tower, but it will not provide any additional hotel rooms.

Optimism About 2023 Deal Volume

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc . upped their quarterly dividend by 9%, announcing a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per share up from the $0.32 a share quarterly dividend they paid during 2022. CoStar said that most Lodging Industry Investment Council members expect full-year lodging real estate transactions in 2023 to exceed the volume in 2022. A joint venture of NewcrestImage and Hospitality Capital Partners completed the acquisition of 11 hotels in seven states with a total of 1,551 rooms.

Concord Hospitality Prepares to Expand in 2023

Choice Hotels International announced the board of directors approved a 21% increase in the quarterly cash dividend on their common stock. Concord Hospitality is preparing for a year of expansion in 2023 as the company recounts 2022 milestones and projects significant growth for the year ahead. AC Hotels by Marriott has opened its newest property in St. Petersburg, Florida, AC Hotel by Marriott St. Petersburg Downtown .

Marriott's Executive Reshuffling

Lodging stocks were mostly lower on Friday. PLYA bucked the trend with an 8% gain on stronger-than-expected earnings. SOND was down another -8%, VCSA fell -7% and SLNA traded down to yet another new all-time low. Besides Playa Hotels’ strong results, Ryman Hospitality Properties took part in the winding down of earnings season with results that were better than their December update. HRI Hospitality announced the topping out of its new hotel project, Tempo by Hilton Nashville Downtown .