Washington DC

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.

Lodging stocks were higher. SLNA topped the list with a 10% gain followed by AHT and VCSA, both up 6%. We start today’s newsletter on a sad note as many of you probably heard that Bruce White , the founder and chairman of White Lodging , passed away at the age of 70. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust gave a January operations update and include an update on 4Q preliminary results. Remember they roiled the Lodging REIT stocks when they preannounced weaker than expected 4Q results.

The DJIA  fell 392 points but Nasdaq was up 16, the S&P 500 rose 8 points and the 10-year treasury yield was up .02 to 3.54%. Lodging stocks were modestly higher with no major movers. Investment firm Sortis agreed to acquire Ace Group International for $85 million . The all-cash deal will give Sortis the boutique Ace Hotels brand and its hotel management company. International visitors spent more than $15.9 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States , an increase of nearly 57% compared to November 2021

Lodging stocks were mixed but the biggest movers were to the upside. VCSA and SLNA both rose 6% on the day. The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index fell -10% in December. That put all of 2022 down -15% from 2021. The Hotel Brand sub-index was down -9.2% in December from November while the Hotel REIT sub-index was down -12.8% Sonesta International Hotels Corporation announced the expansion of its global development strategy to include The James brand as part of the Sonesta Franchise portfolio in the U.S. and in Latin America.

JP Morgan gave their 2023 lodging outlook presentation, saying they see the REITs as relative underperformers versus the C-Corps. They see Wyndham Hotels and Hyatt Hotels as relative out performers within lodging. The DJIA rose 186 points while Nasdaq was up 107, the S&P 500 rose 27 points and the 10-year treasury yield was up .10 to 3.62%. Lodging stocks were higher. Barclays said December lodging RevPAR ended on a strong note, very notable after Pebblebrook Hotel Trust’s guidance cut during the month.

JP Morgan said they see more compelling value and better risk-rewards in gaming versus lodging , given better values and differing sets of investors’ expectations for fundamentals. Barclays gave their US Gaming, Lodging & Leisure outlook, saying their preference is the Cruise Lines out of the sub-sectors. Highgate has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Viceroy Hotels & Resorts.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation announced an increase in its quarterly dividend. MCR has acquired the Staybridge Suites Chattanooga Downtown , a five-story, extended-stay hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The DJIA rose 35 points Friday while Nasdaq was down 21, the S&P 500 was down 5 points and the 10-year treasury yield was down .02 to 3.51%.

Truist gave their observations on the latest forward-looking booking and pricing trends for US hotels and checks with contacts. STR’s global “bubble chart” update through November 19, 2022 showed the strongest performance of the year thus far. The U.S. Travel Association’s latest biannual travel forecast shows a downgrade in international inbound travel for the remainder of this year and for 2023.

The DJIA rose 56 points while Nasdaq was up 162, the S&P 500 rose 35 points and the 10 year treasury yield fell .07 to 3.80%. Lodging stocks were modestly higher. Truist published a report on Vacation Ownership following 3Q results from the public companies involved in the segment. Genuine Hospitality announced the opening of Tru by Hilton Naperville Chicago , the first Tru by Hilton in Illinois.

Wyndham and Hilton kicked off the lodging earnings season, both with solid reports. It was an interesting day with the DJIA up 3 points but Nasdaq down 228. Don’t you love earnings season? Meanwhile, hotel RevPAR for the week ended 10/22 was up 27.8%, according to STR .