Issues

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.

Cambodia Is Recovering, But Still Struggling

STR reported China hotel RevPAR for the week ended 8/20 was up 89.7% year over year, up against an easy -43.4%. Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism said that while tourism is recovering, almost 50% of businesses in Cambodia’s main tourism hub of Siem Reap are still closed . In India, mid-sized hotel brands have embarked on aggressive plans and are signing up hotels at a record pace, encouraged by a major turnaround in performance across the country.

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.

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 .

Vietnam Tourism on Track to Beat 2019 Revenue Numbers

Vietnam’s tourism sector  is forecast to record US$11.1 billion in revenue in 2024, which would  exceed the 2019 tourism revenue number  of US$10.8 billion. Hotelivate said Tier-III cities with resort locations in India have seen the strongest recovery amid a rebound in leisure tourism. Accor is expanding its presence in the Philippines  with the signing of two new properties in Clark City.

Macau Visitors Still Down YoY

Macau’s tally of visitors reached 81,798 for the seven days from August 12 to August 18 inclusive, a daily average of about 11,685. According to the latest Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics , the total China hotel construction pipeline is at 3,693 projects/701,974 rooms. Hilton signed six new luxury hotels in Asia Pacific which will open over the next four years.

July Room Rates Hit New High

According to July 2022 data from STR , the U.S. hotel industry reported record-high monthly room rates on a nominal basis. Raymond James believes the recovery in global travel still has plenty of room to run. They believe this is the earliest stage of what is set up to be a multi-year fundamental recovery in global travel. A 13-F filing from Sunstone Hotels showed Blackstone Group had taken a 4.1% stake in SHO.

China Covid Infections Hit 3-Month High

China reported 2,181 new Covid cases on Saturday , with infections surging to a three month high. Real Commercial said Sydney hotel occupancies are beginning to slip but hoteliers are still charging higher room rates. Tuan Sing Holdings is close to announcing plans to redevelop its 550 room Grand Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne’s Collins Street into a major mixed-use development.

Lodging Stocks End the Week on a Down Note

The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index was up 14.3% in July. Year to date the first seven months of 2022, the stock index is still down by -10.4%. According to Bloomberg, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is exploring options, including a possible sale of the Miami Beach Edition hotel . AC Hotels by Marriott announced the opening of the new AC Hotel by Marriott Monterrey Valle , its first hotel in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon