Group items tagged

U.S. HOTELS WILL generate $46.71 billion in state and local tax revenue, more than ever before, according to a survey from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Oxford Economics. Occupancy is expected to continue its recovery, the report said, but challenges remain. Average U.S. hotel occupancy is projected to reach 63.8 percent in 2023, just under 2019's level of 65.9 percent, according to AHLA. However, the labor shortage is expected to continue this year as hotels seek to fill jobs lost in the pandemic. As of December, national average hotel wages were at historic highs of more than $23 an hour and hotel benefits and flexibility are better than ever. Nearly 100,000 hotel jobs are currently open across the nation, according to job search site Indeed. "Hotels are making significant strides toward recovery, supporting millions of good-paying jobs and generating billions in state and local tax revenue in communities across the nation," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "To continue growing, we need to hire more people. Fortunately, there's never been a better time to be a hotel employee, with wages, benefits, flexibility and upward mobility better than ever before."

ACCORDING TO THE March 2022 edition of CBRE's Hotel Horizons national forecast report, the total revenue for a typical U.S. hotel is not expected to return to pre-COVID 2019 nominal dollars until 2023. Accordingly, hotel owners and operators continue to seek ways to control expenses, and that can include property taxes. One potential reduction opportunity is property taxes, according to an article from Robert Mandelbaum, director of research information services for CBRE Hotels Research, and Mark Whitney, managing director of CBRE's Property & Transaction Tax Services platform. Based on a sample of 3,400 hotels from CBRE's Trends in the Hotel Industry database, U.S. hotel property tax expenditures declined by 13 percent from 2020 to 2021. This decline put 2021 property taxes 9.9 percent below 2019 levels. Unfortunately, this compares unfavorably to the 41.3 percent decline in revenues and 57.4 percent falloff in profits during the same period. For this analysis, profits are defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or EBITDA. Relationship to Profits Compared with other forms of real estate, hotel financial performance is relatively volatile. Because of the lack of long-term leases, hotel revenues and profits will react almost instantaneously to changes in the economy. This was evident during 2020 when we observed a sudden 64.3 percent drop in revenues along with a 109.4 percent decline in EBITDA in reaction to the pandemic.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING points are becoming a standard amenity at hotels, akin to the rise of Wi-Fi in the early 2000s. Benefits for the hotel owners and franchisers can include additional revenue, carbon credits as well as attracting guests from the growing number of electric vehicle drivers. A 2022 Green Lodging survey by the American Hotel and Lodging Association revealed a surge in the deployment of EV chargers within the hospitality sector, with 26.6 percent of all U.S. hotels equipped with charging stations. The EV charging facilities are more commonly found at luxury hotels (nearly 90 percent offer them), while only about one in five limited-service hotels provides charging, representing significant growth opportunities. Hotel brands such as Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, BWH Hotel Group, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International, Hyatt Hotel Corp. and G6 Hospitality have prioritized deploying EV charging based on customer preferences. Their franchisees have begun incorporating EV charging infrastructures into their properties. "We've heard from our owners that offering EV charging solutions is increasingly influential for guests when choosing hotels," said Brian McGuiness, IHG's senior vice president of global guest experience. "This is backed by our observation of guests using EVC filters on the IHG One Rewards mobile app and website. Our integrated EV-charger search filter within the IHG One Rewards mobile app allows travelers to easily find properties with EV charging capabilities, empowering them to plan their journeys conveniently and confidently."

U.S. HOTEL LEISURE travel revenue is projected to rise 14 percent this year over pre-pandemic levels and business travel revenue is expected to be within 1 percent of 2019 range, according to a report by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs. However, these projections are not adjusted for inflation, and real hotel revenue recovery may take many years, a statement said. Among the top 50 U.S. markets, 80 percent are projected to see hotel leisure travel revenue exceed 2019 levels, but just 40 percent are expected reach that milestone for business travel revenue. Many urban markets are yet to recover due to their dependence on business from events and group meetings, the report said. All markets in the top 10 are likely to report increase in leisure travel revenue except New York, Washington and San Francisco. Whereas, in business travel revenue only Orlando, Las Vegas and San Diego will end up this year in green among the top 10.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY hotels posted record high demand in January and monthly RevPAR was up by more than one third mainly due to record ADR growth during the period over 2021, according to hotel investment advisors The Highland Group. Occupancy extended-stay hotels also remained high in the month when compared to the overall hotel industry's long-term average. The supply growth of 3.5 percent in January further indicated that mid-price and upscale supply increases should be well below pre-pandemic levels during the near term, according to "U.S. Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin: January 2022" report by Highland Group. It is the fourth consecutive month of 4 percent or lower supply growth. The report said that the overall hotel industry lost far more revenue than extended-stay hotels in 2020 and 2021, so it is now recovering revenue more quickly. Besides, overall hotel industry lost far more RevPAR than extended-stay hotels in 2020, its RevPAR growth in January this year compared to last year was considerably greater.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS set new records for demand, ADR, RevPAR and room revenues in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to a report from hotel investment advisors The Highland Group. Also, the report showed rate resistance is apparent at lower price points due to recession and the economy extended-stay segment reported nine consecutive months of declining demand and three successive quarterly falls in occupancy. According to the Highland Group's "U.S. Extended-Stay Hotels: Fourth Quarter 2022" report, mid-price extended-stay hotels reported their second consecutive quarterly decline in occupancy in fourth quarter. Similar occupancy declines occurred for about two years starting in mid-2015 before ADR growth moderated and occupancy recovered. Extended-stay hotel supply growth was the lowest since 2013 during the quarter, below its long-term historical average for 20 consecutive quarters. The last time extended-stay supply growth was consistently near its current level was from 2010 fourth quarter through third quarter of 2014. "Extended-stay hotel RevPAR was more than 12 percent higher than in fourth quarter of 2019. There were 567,770 extended-stay hotel rooms open at the end of the quarter. Excluding 2020, the 6,481 net gain in rooms open over the last year was the lowest annual increase since 2012. Room nights available increased 1.2 percent over the last year which was the smallest annual gain in supply for nine years," the report said. "Fractional net economy and upscale segment supply gains compared to 2021 are largely due to re-branding moving rooms between segments in our database, de-flagging of hotels which no longer meet brand standards, as well as the sales of some hotels to multi-family apartment companies and municipalities."

THE COLLECTIVE RECOVERY indices of U.S. extended-stay hotels exceeded 100 percent in November for the first time in 2021, according to hotel investment advisors Highland Group. The strongest gains were reported by mid-price and upscale extended-stay hotels. Economy extended-stay hotels continue to lead the RevPAR recovery during the month with a 22 percent gain compared to two years ago, according to "U.S. Extended-stay Hotels Bulletin: November 2021" report from the Highland Group. According to the report, the 4 percent increase in extended-stay room supply in November tied with October as the lowest monthly gain in 2021. "The impact to supply growth from reopening hotels closed during the pandemic is effectively over. Early indications are that mid-price and upscale supply growth should be well below pre-pandemic levels during the near term," the report said. "The overall hotel industry lost far more revenue than extended-stay hotels in 2020, so it is now recovering revenue more quickly." STR reported that all hotel room revenue was up 110 percent in November compared to a year ago.

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL revenue of U.S. hotels is expected to drop $20 billion this year, down 23 percent when compared to 2019, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs. It is already reported that hotels lost an estimated $108 billion in business travel revenue during 2020 and 2021 combined. The report said that business travel revenue, the largest source of revenue in hotel industry, will take significantly longer to recover. However, leisure travel is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, the report added. "While dwindling COVID-19 case counts and relaxed CDC guidelines are providing a sense of optimism for reigniting travel, this report underscores how tough it will be for many hotels and hotel employees to recover from years of lost revenue," said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. "The good news is that after two years of virtual work arrangements, Americans recognize the unmatched value of face-to-face meetings and say they are ready to start getting back on the road for business travel."

ALL RECOVERY INDICES of U.S. extended-stay hotels were lower compared to 2019 in May than in April, according to hotel investment advisors The Highland Group. The demand for economy extended-stay hotels declined 1.3 percent for the second consecutive month in May compared to same period last year mainly due to sharp increase in ADR in last few months, the report said. The U.S. Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin: May 2022 by The Highland Group said that the extended-stay room supply growth was just 1.9 percent during the month. It is the second successive month that the growth was below 2 percent since 2013, and the eighth consecutive month of 4 percent or lower supply growth. The report added that the supply increase will be well below pre-pandemic levels during the near term. According to STR, all hotel room revenue was up 43 percent in May 2022 compared to last year. "In May, mid-price and upscale extended-stay segments reported their lowest monthly change in demand in 2022. Except for February 2021, due to the leap year in 2020, economy extended-stay hotels reported only the second monthly fall in demand in 23 consecutive months," the report said. "Overall hotel occupancy gained more than extended-stay hotels in May compared to one year ago, decreasing extended-stay hotel's occupancy premium to 12 percentage points, and remains within its long-term average range."

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.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTEL room revenues increased by $1.1 billion in 2023, similar to 2018 and 2019, though with a lower relative gain due to a larger room base, according to The Highland Group. All three extended-stay segments reported record-high room revenues in 2023, with the upscale segment leading despite previously lagging behind the pandemic recovery. The 6.1 percent increase in extended-stay hotel revenues outpaced the corresponding 5.5 percent gain reported by STR/CoStar for the overall hotel industry, the report said. However, extended-stay hotel supply experienced its smallest annual increase on record in 2023, at just 1.8 percent. Factors such as re-branding, de-flagging of non-compliant hotels, and sales to other sectors influenced supply fluctuations, a trend expected to persist into the first half of 2024, particularly with older extended-stay hotels remaining on the market. The report also highlighted a 6.6 percent increase in economy extended-stay supply, alongside modest gains in mid-price and upscale segments, primarily driven by conversions. New construction in the economy segment is estimated at around 3 percent of rooms open compared to one year ago.

U.S. EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS continued their good performance in all measures of performance in April compared to 2019 and higher than in March, according to hotel investment advisors The Highland Group. Due to seasonal increases in leisure travel, the upscale extended-stay hotels benefited the most from the greatest lift in recovery indices except ADR. Meanwhile, mid-price extended-stay hotels achieved the strongest monthly gains in ADR and room revenues compared to April 2021, the U.S. Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin: April 2022 report said. Economy extended-stay hotels continued the lead the recovery compared to 2019, but, demand declined 1.4 percent in April this year compared to April 2021, mainly due to strong increases in ADR over several months. "The 1.8 percent increase in extended-stay room supply in April is the first month supply growth reported below 2 percent since 2013 and the seventh consecutive month of 4 percent or lower supply growth. It is likely that the supply increases should be well below pre-pandemic levels during the near term," the report said.

THE HOTEL INDUSTRY is poised for a fairly strong year in 2023 despite remaining concerns about a downturn, according to a pair of reports. Continuing demand is expected to overcome extra labor costs and economic vagaries to propel performance above pre-pandemic levels, according to the reports from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and STR. The state of the industry AHLA's 2023 State of the Hotel Industry Report projects that demand, nominal room revenue and state and local tax revenue all are well on the way to recovery. Operational challenges, such as staffing shortages and economic factors will replace COVID as hoteliers' top concerns, the report predicts. "Three years after the unprecedented hardships our industry faced due to the pandemic, hotels continue to make significant strides toward recovery," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "2022 saw one of the strongest summer travel seasons ever, and this year we expect hotels to reach new heights in terms of room revenue, room-night demand and state and local tax revenue. But when inflation is taken into account, our industry likely won't see full recovery for several more years. Nevertheless, hotel performance is trending in the right direction - great news for our industry and our employees, who are enjoying better pay, more career opportunities, upward mobility and flexibility than ever before."

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.

HOTELS CAN ENHANCE profitability through greater reliance on revenue management technology tactics, according to IDeaS, a revenue management service provider. The survey examines how investors view revenue technologies, the role of artificial intelligence in hospitality, and how technology is reshaping hospitality commercial organizations. According to the survey, "Unlocking hotel performance: The power of revenue management technology today,'" inflation and economic pressures may lead hoteliers to consider cost-cutting measures to boost profitability. However, a majority of respondents view revenue management technology as the most effective and efficient way to enhance net operating income. "For investors, revenue management technology is shifting from a competitive edge to an essential instrument for maintaining competitiveness and securing a solid bottom line," said Mike Chuma, vice president of global marketing, IDeaS.

ANNUAL CHANGES IN U.S. hotel utility costs and in the Consumer Price Index, or inflation, have historically proven to be strongly correlated. As of August 2022, CBRE is forecasting CPI growth to be 7.7 percent in 2022, followed by another 3.6 percent in 2023. Since inflation has averaged just 2.2 percent since 2000, these inflation projections have hoteliers concerned about operating costs. Given that rising energy costs are a significant driver of the current rise in CPI, hotel managers are especially worried about utility department expenses. Over the past 50 years, utility department expenses have averaged between 3 and 4 percent of total revenue, indicating that hotel managers have been successfully controlling energy costs in the face of fluctuating business volumes. This is particularly commendable given the highly fixed nature of utility expenses. To provide some context to the current challenging environment, we studied recent trends in hotel utility department expenses. The data come from a sample of more than 2,800 U.S. hotels that reported utility department expenses each year from 2015 through 2021 for CBRE's annual "Trends in the Hotel Industry" survey. In 2021 the properties in the sample averaged 209 rooms in size, with an annual occupancy rate of 54.2 percent and an average daily rate of $152.70.

THE 2020 COVID-influenced lodging industry recession resulted in some noticeable changes to the way hotels provide F&B service. Social distancing regulations forced operators to be creative in the way they served food and beverages to guests. Rising wage rates and sharp increases in the cost of food and beverage products compelled hotel managers to find ways to control costs. The inability of hotels to attract employees to fill the positions eliminated during the recession required creative solutions to improve productivity and offer more with less. These factors resulted in the following hotel food and beverage trends during the subsequent recovery period: The increased offering of kiosks and grab-and-go venues The closing of traditional three-meal-a-day restaurants A reduction in the menus, number of seats, and hours of remaining F&B venues Reductions in in-room dining and mini-bar service The conversion of food and beverage space to other revenue generating purposes To learn how these recent changes in hotel food and beverage operations have impacted revenues and expenses, we have analyzed the operating statements of 2,500 U.S. full-service, resort, and convention hotels that participated in CBRE's annual Trends in the Hotel Industry in 2021 and 2022. In 2022, these 2,500 properties averaged 285 rooms in size, and achieved an occupancy of 64.7 percent, along with an ADR of $225.60. To provide more current information, we also relied on the monthly operating statements of 1,200 properties during the period January through June of 2023.

THE DEMAND PREMIUM that extended-stay hotels have experienced over the past two years compared to other types of hotels is beginning to ebb, according to consulting firm The Highland Group. Also, ADR growth decelerated for the fourth consecutive month in July but remains higher than any other period before 2021. The overall hotel industry revenue recovery is now only one half a point greater than extended-stay hotels, according to the US Extended-Stay Hotels Bulletin: July 2022 report by the Highland Group. According to STR, all hotel room revenue was up 12.1 percent in July this year compared to last year. "For the first time in more than two years all three extended-stay segments reported a monthly decline in demand compared to the previous year. Demand declines in economy and mid-price segments, which were less than corresponding falls for all hotels in the same rate categories, are mainly correlated to strong growth in ADR. The upscale segment's demand decline is correlated to both increasing ADR and the contraction in supply," the report said.

IN 2020 AND 2021, U.S. hotel operators did a praiseworthy job controlling expenses to offset the significant declines in revenue. Based on data from CBRE's Trends in the Hotel Industry survey of annual operating statements from thousands of properties across the U.S., not only have we seen a reduction in the variable expenses associated with the drop in business volume (i.e., occupied rooms, restaurant covers), but also in cuts among what were previously thought to be fixed expenses. During this time period, insurance costs were out of operators' control. Per the 11th edition of the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), insurance expenditures are classified as a non-operating expense and reported on the summary operating statement below gross operating profits. The insurance expense line item includes property insurance for building, contents, and business income from all perils, as well as general liability and excess liability insurance. The insurance expense category does not include workers compensation insurance, which is allocated to the operated and undistributed departments. To analyze recent changes in hotel insurance costs, and the factors that influence those changes, we examined the operating statements of 3,156 U.S. hotels that reported insurance expenses for the Trends survey each year from 2015 through 2021 (estimated). The following paragraphs summarize the findings from our analysis.

THE STATE OF the U.S. hotel industry is strong going into 2024, according to American Hotel & Lodging Association's 2024 State of the Hotel Industry report. Average hotel occupancy is expected to reach nearly 63.6 percent in 2024, a slight increase from the 62.9 percent in 2023 but below the 65.8 percent rate recorded in 2019. Nominal RevPAR is also anticipated to rise to $101.82 in 2024, up by 4 percent from 2023 and over 17 percent from 2019. AHLA projects hotels will pay employees a record sum of over $123 billion in wages, salaries, and compensation in 2024, surpassing $118 billion in 2023 and $102 billion in 2019. Hotels are expected to add approximately 45,000 employees this year, while the industry's workforce remains nearly 225,000 below the almost 2.37 million employed in 2019, the AHLA report said. The report, projecting persistent challenges for hoteliers in the face of nationwide labor shortages as they approach 2019 occupancy levels, draws on data and analysis from Oxford Economics. It was developed in collaboration with AHLA Premier Partners: STR, Avendra, Ecolab, Encore, JLL, Oracle, and Towne Park.