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U.S. HOTEL REVPAR is expected to grow steadily in 2024, driven by improving group business, inbound international travel, and traditional transient business demand, according to CBRE. This follows a strong performance in 2023 that muted the new forecast in some areas. The research firm forecasted a 3 percent increase in RevPAR growth in 2024, with occupancy improving by 45 basis points and ADR increasing by 2.3 percent. It indicates ongoing recovery of the lodging industry, with RevPAR in 2024 expected to surpass 2019 levels by 13.2 percent, CBRE Hotels said in a statement. CBRE's baseline forecast expects 1.6 percent GDP growth and 2.5 percent average inflation in 2024. Given the strong correlation between GDP and RevPAR growth, the economy's strength will directly impact the lodging industry's performance, the statement said. "We expect RevPAR growth to be slower in the first quarter due to last year's strong performance, but to reach its peak in the third quarter driven by the influx of inbound international travelers during the busy summer season," said Rachael Rothman, CBRE's head of hotel research and data analytics. "Urban and airport locations should particularly benefit from group and inbound international travel, as well as the normalization of leisure travel."

IHG HOTELS & RESORTS reported a 23 percent increase in profit from reportable segments in 2023, surpassing the $1 billion milestone for the first time. The company also noted a 16.1 percent rise in RevPAR, a 5.1 percent increase in ADR, and a 6.4 percentage point uptick in occupancy during the previous year. It anticipates returning more than $1 billion to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks this year, IHG said in a statement. "Travel demand was strong across all markets, with RevPAR up 16 percent from last year and 11 percent ahead of the 2019 pre-pandemic peak," said Elie Maalouf, IHG Hotels & Resorts' chief executive officer. "Combined with the power of our enterprise and efficient operating model, profit from reportable segments grew by 23 percent, exceeding one billion dollars for the first time, and adjusted EPS grew by 33 percent." This marks one of the company's most significant quarters for development activity, IHG said. The company reported full-year revenue of $4.62 billion, marking a nearly 19 percent increase from $3.89 billion in 2022.

EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS DISPLAYED varied performance in December compared to the overall hotel industry, with supply, demand, and room revenues showing relative gains, according to The Highland Group. Occupancy experienced a milder decline than the broader hotel sector while low ADR growth and an unexpected decline in economy extended-stay RevPAR resulted in a total extended-stay hotel RevPAR decrease versus a slight RevPAR increase in the overall hotel industry. The 2.4 percent net increase in extended-stay room supply in December represents a modest rise compared to the average over the past 18 months and a slight gain over the most recent three months, the report said. Supply shifts overview December marked nine consecutive quarters with 4 percent or less supply growth, significantly below the long-term average, according to The Highland report. The 13 percent surge in economy extended-stay supply and the reduction in mid-price segment rooms are primarily attributed to conversions, with new construction in the economy segment accounting for approximately 3 percent of rooms compared to a year ago.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS showed positive growth in April after a difficult first quarter, according to The Highland Group. Monthly room revenue growth was the highest in nearly a year, demand saw its strongest increase in 16 months, and ADR and RevPAR turned positive after two and four months of decline, respectively. "The performance of extended-stay hotels in April re-established the segment's long-term trend of increasing its market share of total hotel supply, demand and room revenues," said Mark Skinner, partner at The Highland Group. The extended-stay room supply grew 2.8 percent in April, slightly above the average monthly increase over the last two years, the report said. However, April marked 31 consecutive months of 4 percent or less supply growth, with annual supply change under 2 percent for two years-both metrics well below the long-term average.

APPROXIMATELY 51 PERCENT of hospitality industry professionals participating in STR's Hospitality Industry Sentiment survey expressed optimism about their business confidence over the next two years. Respondents rated their confidence at "8" or higher on a 10-point scale. Analyzing the results over the survey's first year reveals a gradual, consistent decline in confidence ratings for each time span. Meanwhile, global recession fears have diminished since the last survey, STR said. Among various industry challenges, "concerns regarding a potential recession" saw the most significant drop between the last two surveys, ranking third behind labor costs and supply issues. Energy and utility costs are slightly increasing, while supply chain challenges and group demand issues are gradually diminishing. Regarding hotel performance, outlined trends influence demand forecasting expectations, the survey said. The percentage of respondents anticipating "strong improvement" or "some improvement" is gradually declining across all three hotel demand segments. A majority of experts still foresee growth in both business transient and group demand.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY hotels experienced their first quarterly decline in RevPAR since the first quarter of 2021, according to The Highland Group. In the first quarter, the segment saw a 1.6 percent drop in RevPAR, despite a 1.5 percent increase in revenues. Demand increased by 1.7 percent, contrasting with a 2.8 percent fall in total hotel demand when excluding upper upscale and luxury segments. STR/CoStar estimated that overall hotel RevPAR, excluding upper upscale and luxury segments, which have minimal extended-stay room supply, increased by 1.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The Highland Group's 2024 First Quarter U.S. Extended-Stay Hotels report indicated that overall hotel RevPAR and room revenues declined by 1.1 percent and 0.9 percent year-to-date, respectively, excluding upper upscale and luxury segments.

U.S. HOTELS ARE likely to report improved RevPAR growth in the second half of the year, following a weak first quarter, according to CBRE. International tourism and other economic factors are expected to provide a boost to performance. A 2 percent increase in RevPAR growth is forecasted for 2024, down from the 3 percent estimated in February. RevPAR is now expected to grow by 3 percent for the remainder of the year, driven by international tourists, holiday travel, and limited supply growth. It is projecting GDP growth of 2.3 percent and average inflation of 3.2 percent in 2024. The performance of the lodging industry is closely tied to the strength of the economy, as there is typically a strong correlation between GDP and RevPAR growth, CBRE said in a statement.