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THE U.S. HOTEL industry reported higher performance in the second week of July compared to the previous week, but lower year-over-year results, according to CoStar. The first hurricane of the season impacted one top 25 market. Occupancy climbed to 69.2 percent for the week ending July 13, up from 61.3 percent the previous week, but down 3.7 percent year-over-year. ADR increased to $158.21 from $157.27, marking a 1.5 percent decline compared to last year. RevPAR increased to $109.51 from $96.35 the previous week, reflecting a 5.2 percent decrease from the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Houston recorded the highest year-over-year increases in key performance metrics: occupancy rose 13.4 percent to 72.2 percent, ADR increased 22.4 percent to $137.17, and RevPAR grew 38.8 percent to $98.97. The market's performance was impacted by Hurricane Beryl.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS is quietly bouncing back after Choice Hotels International's failed takeover bid. The company reported a net income of $86 million for the second quarter ending June 30, a 22.8 percent increase from $70 million the previous year. Wyndham's global pipeline grew 7 percent year-over-year, with a 5 percent increase in the U.S. alone. Its net income increase was driven by higher adjusted EBITDA, a benefit from the reversal of a spin-off matter and a lower effective tax rate, Wyndham said in a statement. "The resilience and highly cash generative nature of our business model was once again on full display this quarter," said Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham's president and chief executive officer. "Amid a normalizing domestic RevPAR environment, we delivered strong adjusted EBITDA driven by net room and ancillary fee growth. We awarded 33 percent more hotel contracts domestically which grew our development pipeline to a record 245,000 rooms, and drove significant increases in our U.S, international and global royalty rates. Year-to-date, we've returned over $250 million to shareholders, representing 4 percent of our beginning market capitalization this year."

GLOBAL BUSINESS TRAVEL spending is forecast to reach $1.48 trillion by the end of 2024, surpassing the previous record of $1.43 trillion in 2019, according to a recent study by the Global Business Travel Association. Spending is projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2028, indicating strong growth for the business travel sector. The 2024 GBTA Business Travel Index Outlook, supported by Visa, found that economic stability and lingering pent-up demand are driving growth, reassuring CEOs and CFOs to send their teams back on the road for business meetings. "We are witnessing the expected rebound in the sector, reflecting the resilience and adaptability of businesses and the value of business travel worldwide," said Suzanne Neufang, GBTA's CEO. "With projected spending expected to continue to increase through 2028, the future of business travel looks promising. However, we must remain vigilant and adaptive to potential headwinds in this period of stabilization, as factors such as changing economic conditions, technological advancements and sustainability developments will also shape the sector ahead."

THE AMERICAS AND Asia Pacific saw a year-over-year increase in hotel pipeline activity at the end of second quarter, according to CoStar. The U.S. leads the Americas with around 157,713 rooms under construction, while China tops the Asia Pacific with 319,012 rooms under construction. In the Americas, construction surged to around 208,718 rooms, an 8.3 percent rise from June 2023, CoStar's June 2024 data showed. Final planning had 299,153 rooms, up 6.9 percent from the previous year, while the planning phase saw 385,945 rooms, a significant 34.6 percent increase. The region had 893,816 rooms under contract, a notable 17.8 percent uptick. After the U.S., Mexico recorded about 13,301 rooms under construction, with Canada and Brazil following at 8,686 and 5,948 rooms, respectively, CoStar said.

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