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Trekking to higher altitudes like in the Everest base camp tours needs preserving your breath & slowing down the heart rate. These can be achieved through the Sherpa step taught by the inimitable Tshering during the adventure trek in Nepal.

It is known to all the prices of any product rises during a particular season, when there is a high demand of that item. The same thing may be said in case of the limo. It is particularly during prom and wedding season, the limo hire companies may charge a bit higher price. However, you will be able to make the deal more cost- effective by hiring multiple limousines at a definite time.

Whether you're using a childseat, a trailercycle or a trailer to take your kids along, you'll probably want to do so on a bicycle equipped with flat handlebars. These are higher and wider than dropped bars and provide more control against the destabilizing forces of the additional weight you're carrying. You feel this the most with a trailercycle. If Junior squirms around a lot, it can be quite difficult to steer a straight course.

A CONTINUING SENSE of optimism about the nation's recovery among investors sent the Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index up in October. Hotel brands led the increase as concerns about the COVID-19 Delta variant began to ease. The Baird/STR index rose 6.8 percent during the month, and it also was up 20.7 percent year to date through the first 10 months of 2021. The index rose 5.2 percent during September compared to August. Still, the index was behind both the S&P 500, which rose 6.9 percent in October, and the MSCI US REIT Index, which rose 7.6 percent. The hotel brand sub-index rose 9 percent from September while the hotel REIT sub-index increased 0.5 percent. "Hotel stocks increased for the second straight month, but performance was led by the hotel brands once again," said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. "The hotel REITs were marginally higher in October, while the hotel brands were the absolute and relative winners. Delta variant concerns are in the rearview mirror now, and investors are looking forward to the recovery continuing in 2022, particularly in some of the harder hit segments, markets, and regions that are poised to rebound strongly."

THE UPWARD MOVEMENT of ADR for U.S. hotels lifted the forecast for the market by STR and Tourism Economics. The travel research firms released the new forecast during the opening sessions of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles on Monday. The recovery timeline laid out in the new forecast remains mostly the same as the previous forecast released in November, with ADR will near full recovery this year. RevPAR is anticipated to exceed 2019 levels in 2023, but when adjusted for inflation ADR and RevPAR are not projected to reach full recovery until after 2025. Occupancy is projected to surpass 2019 levels in 2023. "The industry recaptured 83 percent of pre-pandemic RevPAR levels in 2021, and momentum is expected to pick up after a slow start to this year," said Carter Wilson, STR's senior vice president of consulting. "With so much of that RevPAR recovery being led by leisure-driven ADR, however, it is important to keep an eye on the real versus the nominal. Terms of recovery are not playing out evenly across the board, and many hoteliers have had to raise rates to minimize the bottom-line hit from labor and supply shortages. We are anticipating inflation to remain higher throughout the first half of the year with a gradual leveling off during the third and fourth quarters. If that happens, and we avoid major setbacks with the pandemic, this year will certainly be one to watch with demand and occupancy also shaping up to hit significant levels during the second half."

AS A RESULT of a larger impact from the Omicron variant, U.S. hotel occupancy worsened in the second week of January in comparison with pre-pandemic levels, according to STR. However, occupancy was higher than the previous week on an absolute basis. Occupancy was 48.8 percent for the week ending Jan. 15, up from 45.4 percent the week before and down 16.3 percent from the comparable week in 2019. ADR was $122.12 for the week, up from $119.92 the week before, but down 1.6 percent from two years ago. RevPAR reached $59.57, up from $54.47 the prior week and down 17.6 percent from the same period two years ago. According to STR, ADR and RevPAR were up week over week and when indexed to 2019.

THE U.S. HOTEL construction pipeline dropped 8 percent by projects and 10 percent by rooms in 2021 when compared to 2020, according to Lodging Econometrics. However, the number of projects in the early planning stage is rising, it added. The total construction pipeline at the fourth quarter of last year stood at 4,814 projects containing 581,953 rooms, according to LE. There were 2,021 projects containing 239,816 rooms in the early planning stage, up 18 percent by projects and 11 percent by rooms, LE data shows. According to LE, 1,821 hotel projects containing 210,890 rooms are scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months. As many as 972 projects containing 131,247 rooms under construction finished the year. "New project announcements are down in the fourth quarter. However, developers are eager to accelerate projects long-delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, they face some development roadblocks, including escalating inflation and supply chain shortages, that are causing higher prices versus 'pre-pandemic' costs for labor and materials," LE said. "These factors continue to prolong hotel development timelines. We anticipate these challenges to abate throughout the year and see construction starts to moderately improve."

THE OMICRON VARIANT has not good for the hospitality industry, but it hasn't been as bad as expected, which is a good sign for the future, according to HotStats. GOPPAR for November was up from the same time last year, but still down from 2019. GOPPAR for November was $55.68, down 29.4 percent from November 2019. It's also down from $68.97 In October, but according to HotStats that is not unusual for this time of year. "A typical spike in profit in October, normally gives way to a drop off in November," HotStats said. "ADR in the month was $7 higher than at the same time in 2019 after being well down in 2020. This helped drive both RevPAR and TRevPAR, which were both up triple digits over 2020, though still down considerably versus 2019." The appearance and rapid spread of Omicron, which originated in South Africa and by December was the dominant strain in the U.S., was a "noisy" intrusion, HotStats said, coming as it did while the country was still dealing with a spike from the Delta variant. However, it could turn out to "be more insipid than insidious."

THE BAIRD/STR Hotel Stock Index rose in March, continuing a trend from the previous month. Still, continued growth remains at risk by factors such as inflation and political unrest. The index increased 2.2 percent in March after rising 4.1 percent in February. It rose 2.4 percent year to date through the first three months of 2022. However, Baird/STR fell behind both the S&P 500, up 3.6 percent in March, and the MSCI US REIT Index, which rose 5.9 percent. The hotel brand sub-index rose 1.4 percent from February, while the Hotel REIT sub-index jumped 5.1 percent. "Hotel stocks increased in March but underperformed their benchmarks as stock market volatility eased and geopolitical concerns did not worsen," said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. "Underlying hotel fundamentals continued to improve in March, and the outlook appears more favorable today than just one month ago despite all of the background noise in the stock market and with interest rates on the rise. Higher gas prices and heightened concerns about a slower growth backdrop have been topical with investors lately, but broader travel momentum and pent-up demand should keep the lodging recovery going over the near term, in our opinion."

PROFITS FOR U.S. hotels reached a 28-month high in March, according to STR. Spring break travel and higher rates are pushing performance up on all levels. GOPPAR was $83.81 for the month, the highest level for the metric since November 2019. It was less than $10 shy of reaching the pre-pandemic comparable from March 2019. In February GOPPAR stood at $58.88. EBITDA PAR was $62.68, TRevPAR was $204.84 and labor costs per room were $61.45. For the latter two it was their highest mark since March 2020.

EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS experienced limited growth in July, reflecting the summer travel season's tendency to favor the overall hotel industry more than extended-stay establishments, according to The Highland Group. Total hotels reported a smaller decrease in occupancy and a slightly higher increase in ADR compared to all extended-stay hotels in July 2022. According to Highland, Extended-stay hotels performed similarly to the preceding three months in July. The economy segment reported a decrease in RevPAR, while upscale extended-stay hotels saw the strongest RevPAR increase. However, ADR growth across extended-stay segments has noticeably narrowed over the last three months. For the second consecutive month, the economy segment achieved faster ADR gains compared to mid-price extended-stay hotels. "Extended-stay hotels' 9.2 percentage-point occupancy premium above the overall hotel industry is slightly below the long-term annual average range but typical for the summer travel season," said Mark Skinner, partner at The Highland Group.

PEACHTREE GROUP'S CREDIT division has closed $556 million in loan originations, accounting for half of the $1.1 billion deployed by the company this year. The remaining $526 million was allocated for the acquisition of five hotels and the initiation of three new hotel development projects. The company also launched five hotels that were under construction as of September, Peachtree Group said in a statement. "Commercial real estate owners who have benefited from an extended period of readily available, low-cost capital over the past 15 years are now confronting a new reality," said Greg Friedman, CEO of Peachtree Group. "Commercial real estate participants are faced with the pressures of higher capital costs and tighter liquidity in sourcing capital for acquisition, recapitalizations and development strategies."

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS set new performance records for demand, ADR and RevPAR in the third quarter of 2022, according to a report from The Highland Group. However, rate resistance is growing at lower price points as recession fears loom. The "U.S. Extended-stay Hotels: Third quarter 2022" report by the Highland Group said that the economy extended-stay segment reported six consecutive months of demand drop and two successive quarterly falls in occupancy in the quarter ending September. "Mid-price extended-stay hotels reported first quarterly decline in occupancy since fourth quarter of 2020. Excluding the last 15 months, extended-stay hotel ADR is still increasing at the fastest rate for 20 years but, like the overall hotel industry, ADR growth continues to decelerate," the report said. "The slowdown in ADR growth is greatest at higher price points although mid-price and upscale extended-stay ADR is still increasing faster than the economy segment."

TWO HOTELS HAVE joined Hospitality Lodging Systems' AmeriVu brand. One is a 61-room former Fairfield Inn in Grand Forks, North Dakota and the other is an 80-room former Super 8 in Aberdeen, North Carolina. The new additions bring the number of AmeriVu properties to 23 operating in nine states, according to HLS. The AmeriVu brand was started in 2015 by Nick Rai, CEO of Vishav Hotels, who signed a long-term exclusive licensing agreement with Atlanta-based HLS in 2016. "In today's uncertain economy and recovering hotel environment, hotel owners want lower costs, higher profits, and more peace of mind," said Doug Collins, Chairman and CEO of HLS. "Our brands effectively deliver dependable results."

HILTON IS ONE of the largest hotel companies in the world, known usually as parent company to higher end brands, such as Hilton Garden Inn and Canopy by Hilton. Now, the company is moving into the "premium economy" segment with its new brand, Spark. Spark will include several features meant to appeal to owners, according to Hilton, primarily by providing the company's reservation network, business model and commercial engines. It also includes supply chain management, a cost-effective pricing model and automated customer offerings such as digital check-in and Digital Key. "Spark by Hilton was developed in close collaboration with our developer community, and we are thrilled by the positive feedback and excitement we have received to date," said Alissa Klees, brand leader, Spark by Hilton. "In fact, we already have more than 100 deals in various stages of development across the U.S., with the first properties anticipated to open this year." Each hotel will feature colorful exterior walls and artwork. The public space will feature multi-functional seating, such as communal tables and rocking chairs, for guests to eat breakfast, socialize or work throughout the day. Guest rooms will have practical amenities, including an open closet, in-room refrigerator, multi-purpose work surface and bathroom. To ensure a consistent, quality guest experience, each hotel will be required to complete a full renovation, encompassing all guest-facing areas of the hotel, prior to joining Spark by Hilton. The new brand will fill a certain niche, said Matt Schuyler, Hilton's chief brand officer.

THERE WAS A slight dip in U.S. hotel performance in the fifth week of July compared to the week before, which was the traditional summer travel peak, according to STR. Performance metrics for hotels were lower during the week compared to the week before, but higher when compared to 2019. Occupancy was 71.9 percent for the week ending July 30, down from 72.8 percent the week before and dropped 3.8 percent from 2019. ADR was $158.32 for the week, a slight dip from $158.79 the week before and increased 18.3 percent from three years ago. RevPAR reached $113.90 during the week, down from $115.59 the week before and up 13.9 percent from 2019. Nashville reported the largest occupancy increase during the post summer travel peak week, up 4.2 percent to 77.8 percent, over 2019 among STR's top 25 markets. The highest occupancy were in San Diego (87.4 percent), Boston (85.5 percent), and Oahu Island (85.3 percent) during the week under review.

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL has completed its acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas for $675 million. The transaction includes Radisson's franchise business, operations and intellectual property. The merger, which was announced in June, will add Radisson's nine brands to Choice, bringing it to 624 hotels. "With the close of this transaction, Choice Hotels International has added approximately 67,000 rooms, expanding its presence in the higher revenue upper upscale and upscale full-service segments, and bolstering its core upper-midscale hospitality segment, particularly in the West Coast and Midwest of the U.S.," the company said in a statement. As part of the transaction, which covers properties in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the U.S., Choice will independently own and control the brands in the Americas and will work with Radisson to drive the growth, continuity and success of the brands, according to a joint press release from the companies. Choice's board of directors unanimously approved the transaction, and it was expected to close in the second half of 2022. It was funded by cash on hand and revolver borrowings and includes 10 Radisson Blu hotels, 130 Radisson hotels, 9 Radisson Individuals, 1 Park Plaza hotel, 4 Radisson RED hotels, 453 Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and 17 Park Inn by Radisson hotels, as well as the recently launched Radisson Inn & Suites and Radisson Collection brands.

THE REVPAR RECOVERY of U.S. extended-stay hotels remain unchanged in August compared to July, according to consulting firm The Highland Group. However, ADR growth for mid-price and upscale segments decreased for the fifth consecutive month but remained higher than any other period before 2021. STR said that hotel occupancy gained 5.3 percent in August 2022 compared to same period last year, decreasing extended-stay hotel's occupancy premium to 12.6 percentage points compared to more than 14 points in August 2021. But the premium remains well within its long-term average range. Economy and mid-price extended-stay segments reported much faster ADR growth compared to corresponding segments during the month, according to the US Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin: August 2022. The economy segment continued leading the RevPAR recovery compared to 2019, but demand declined 1.9 percent for the fifth consecutive month compared to August 2021 due to strong increases in ADR.

DRIVEN BY STRONGER-than-expected demand and moderate supply, CBRE has raised its forecast for hotel performance again this year, resulting in increased occupancy. CBRE revised its forecast for 2023 RevPAR to $97.89, up 6 percent year-over-year and an increase of $0.43 rise from the previous forecast. This positive revision is based on a 65-basis-point increase in expected occupancy compared to the previous forecast issued in February, CBRE said in a statement. Furthermore, the ADR is projected to grow by 3.7 percent in 2023, slightly lower than the previous forecast of 4.2 percent. According to CBRE Hotels Research, this is primarily due to slightly lower inflation expectations and a higher proportion of group travel and shoulder-period demand, which typically have lower rates. CBRE's baseline scenario forecast envisages an average GDP growth of 0.8 percent and average inflation of 4.6 percent in 2023. Given the strong correlation between GDP and RevPAR growth, changes in the economic outlook will directly impact the performance of the lodging industry, CBRE noted. "We are already starting to see signs that the easing of travel restrictions in Japan and China, combined with continued improvements in group and independent business demand, are bolstering demand heading into the heavy summer travel season," said Rachael Rothman, head of hotel research & data analytics at CBRE.

HIHOTELS BY HOSPITALITY International has entered into a partnership with the travel app Hopper. With this new partnership, Hopper will have a direct connection with hihotels' five brands namely Scottish Inns, Red Carpet Inn, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn. These brands will gain access to Hopper's proprietary suite of fintech products that assist with conversion, repeat purchases and profitability, hihotels' said in a statement. According to the statement, Hopper will help hihotels expand its growing online presence, while retaining its customer base. "This strategic alliance with Hopper is yet another way of providing more revenue opportunities and increased exposure for our franchisees," said Gary Gobin, director of operations at hihotels'. "Hopper, previously known for its flights business, has rapidly expanded into hotels, homes and rental cars in recent years - with hotels currently comprising more than half of the company's travel bookings. We like how they are strongly focused on social media marketing, which will improve exposure of our hotels to younger generations who prefer to spend money on experience, rather than higher-priced accommodations." "At Hopper, we strive to provide the best accommodation offerings in the same place that users are booking the rest of their travel," said Lexi Caron, head of Hotel Marketplace at Hopper. "This partnership brings new direct inventory to the Hopper app, which has been downloaded over 100 million times to date and helps us deliver on our promise to offer customers the best price, selection and inventory available."