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U.S. HOTEL REVENUES and profitability saw an increase in 2023 compared to 2022, with improvements in group business across the top 25 markets and upper-scale chains, according to STR's 2023 P&L data. Overall, 14 of the top 25 markets reported double-digit increases in GOPPAR. "Total industry revenues and profits were well beyond 2022 levels as pricing power continued to outweigh the impact of softer leisure demand," said Claudia Alvarado Cruz, senior analytics manager at STR. "A lift in corporate demand made improvements especially notable across the upper-upscale brands and major markets. New York City was the shining example with 47 percent growth in GOPPAR." In 2023, GOPPAR reached $75.83, marking an 8.2 percent increase from 2022. TRevPAR stood at $211.49, indicating a 9.6 percent rise, while EBITDA PAR amounted to $53.05, up 7.6 percent from the prior year. Labor costs notably increased, reaching $71.56, reflecting a 13.2 percent rise.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE displayed mixed outcomes in the fourth week of February compared to the previous week, according to CoStar. While occupancy and RevPAR experienced a modest increase, ADR declined from the prior week. Occupancy increased to 62 percent for the week ending Feb. 24, up from the previous week's 59.2 percent, marking a 3.3 percent year-over-year decline. ADR decreased to $156.62 from $162.24 the prior week, reflecting a 0.3 percent increase compared to the previous year. RevPAR rose to $97.12 from $96.10 the prior week, indicating a 2.9 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Minneapolis reported the highest year-over-year occupancy increase, rising by 4.5 percent to reach 47.8 percent.

PEACHTREE GROUP, A commercial real estate investment firm with a $6.4 billion portfolio, has secured approximately $660 million in credit investments since Dec. 1, with an additional $350 million expected to close within the next 30 to 45 days. These investments focus on hotels, multifamily, industrial, and student housing, Peachtree said in a statement. "We are witnessing heightened activity in response to the anticipation of sustained elevated interest rates and continued reductions in bank exposure," said Greg Friedman, Peachtree Group's managing principal/CEO. "The pressing need to refinance maturing debt, estimated at $2.8 trillion in U.S. commercial real estate debt by the end of 2028, is a growing concern. Commercial real estate stakeholders are grappling with the challenges of increased capital costs and constrained liquidity, particularly in securing capital for acquisitions, recapitalizations and development initiatives." Peachtree recently closed one of its largest individual credit transactions to date, securing a $102.9 million, three-year loan to recapitalize a 350-room Marriott dual-brand AC Hotel Sunnyvale Moffett Park and TETRA Hotel, Autograph Collection in Sunnyvale, California, the statement added.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE decreased slightly in the first week of February from the previous week, while year-over-year comparisons remained mixed, according to CoStar. Key metrics, including occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR, all declined in the first week of February compared to the previous week. Occupancy dipped slightly to 55.2 percent for the week ending Feb. 3, from the previous week's 56.2 percent, reflecting a 0.1 percent decrease year-over-year. ADR decreased to $147.99 from the prior week's $149.76, marking a 1.9 percent increase compared to the previous year. RevPAR declined to $81.69 from the prior week's $84.13, reflecting a 1.7 percent increase compared to the corresponding period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Seattle saw the largest year-over-year increases, with occupancy rising 19.3 percent to 60.1 percent and RevPAR increasing by 27.5 percent to $89.11.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS released fourth quarter and full year 2023 earnings that included record-high rooms growth. Geoff Ballotti, Wyndham's president and CEO, said the strong results reinforce the company's decision to refuse Choice Hotels International's ongoing efforts to buy Wyndham out. In its earning call, Wyndham reported that system-wide rooms grew organically by 3.5 percent year-over-year, a record high. The company opened a record 66,000 organic rooms, a 3 percent year-over-year increase. Its development pipeline grew 1 percent sequentially and by 10 percent year-over-year to 240,000 rooms, another record, including 98 new contract signings for its ECHO Suites brand, a 60 percent YoY growth in that part of the pipeline. Wyndham's shareholders, who will be key to determining the success or failure of Choice's efforts to acquire the company, saw several benefits from last year's performance. Fourth quarter diluted earnings per share was 60 cents with a net income of $50 million. The company returned $515 million to shareholders for the full-year through $397 million of share repurchases and quarterly cash dividends of $0.35 per share. Its board of directors also authorized a 9 percent increase in the quarterly cash dividend to $0.38 per share beginning with the dividend expected to be declared in first quarter of 2024.

HYATT HOTELS CORP. reported $26 million in net income for the fourth quarter of 2023 and $220 million for the year. Comparable system-wide RevPAR grew by 9.1 percent during the same period and 17 percent for the full year of 2023, outperforming figures from 2022 and exceeding the previous full-year outlook. Adjusted net income reached $68 million in Q4 and $276 million for full-year 2023, Hyatt said in a statement. "The fourth quarter marks the completion of a transformative year and demonstrates the progress towards our strategic vision and earnings evolution," said Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt's president and CEO. "RevPAR growth exceeded the high end of our guidance range and we had industry-leading net rooms growth for the seventh consecutive year. This led to a record level of fees and the highest free cash flow in Hyatt's history. We returned $500 million to our shareholders and achieved an asset-light earnings mix of approximately 76 percent for the full year, a testament to the successful execution of our strategy."

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.

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL appears to be moving on from its failed attempt to acquire Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, according to statements from its executive team during the company's first quarter earnings call May 8. The quarter saw overall positive performance for the company, including record growth in its pipeline and $63.7 million adjusted net income, a 9 percent rise over the same period of last year. The main portion of the call was dedicated to reporting the highlights of the quarter. For example, Choice's EBITDA during the quarter grew to $124.3 million, a first quarter record and a 17 percent increase compared to the same period of 2023. Its global pipeline as of March 31 increased 10 percent to a company record of more than 115,000 rooms, including a 36 percent increase in the global pipeline for conversion rooms. Its domestic rooms pipeline increased by 11 percent since Dec. 31, highlighted by a 59 percent increase for conversion rooms.

APPROXIMATELY 43.8 MILLION Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home, surpassing pre-pandemic figures, according to a forecast by AAA. This represents a 4 percent increase from last year and approaches the 2005 record of 44 million Memorial Day weekend travelers. A record 38.4 million are expected to drive, marking the highest number since AAA began tracking in 2000. "We haven't seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years," said Paula Twidale, AAA Travel's senior vice president. "We're projecting an additional one million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we're exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead." The number of drivers this year is up 4 percent compared to last year and 1.9 percent higher than in 2019, the auto club said. Traveling by car is appealing for many people because of the convenience and flexibility it provides.

HYATT HOTELS CORP. reported strong early 2024 performance, with RevPAR and revenue growth, fueled by pipeline expansion driving its core hotel business and global franchise network. Systemwide RevPAR surged by 5.5 percent compared to 2023, while all-inclusive resorts net package RevPAR soared by 11 percent. Meanwhile, U.S. RevPAR increased by approximately 2 percent, excluding the Easter impact, indicating normalized growth. Net rooms grew by about 5.5 percent, with net income at $522 million and adjusted net income at $75 million, Hyatt said in a statement. Adjusted EBITDA stood at $252 million, dropping by 9 percent compared to Q1 2023, mainly due to the Super Bowl in Phoenix, increased real estate taxes, higher wages, and transaction costs from ongoing asset sales.

STR AND TOURISM Economics made significant downward adjustments to the 2024-25 U.S. hotel forecast, reflecting lower-than-expected performance and reduced growth projections for the remainder of the year. Projected gains in ADR and RevPAR were downgraded by 1 and 2.1 percentage points, respectively. Occupancy is also expected to decline, contrasting with the previous forecast's projection of year-over-year growth in this metric. While an occupancy growth projection was maintained for 2025, ADR and RevPAR were adjusted downward by 0.8 and 0.9 percentage points, respectively, STR and TE said in a joint statement. "We have seen a bifurcation in hotel performance over the first four months of the year, which we don't believe will abate soon," said Amanda Hite, STR's president. "The increased cost of living is affecting lower-to-middle income households and their ability to travel, thus lessening demand for hotels in the lower price tier. The upscale through luxury tier is seeing healthy demand, but pricing power has waned given changes in mix and travel patterns and to a lesser extent, economic conditions. Travel remains a priority for most Americans, but the volume has lessened as prices on goods and services continue to rise."

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.

APPROXIMATELY 6,095 PROJECTS with 713,151 rooms are in the U.S. construction pipeline at the end of the second quarter, according to Lodging Econometrics. This all-time high marks a 9 percent year-over-year increase in projects and an 8 percent increase in rooms compared to the second quarter of 2023. LE's Q2 2024 U.S. Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report revealed 1,171 projects with 147,611 rooms under construction at the end of the second quarter, reflecting a 10 percent increase in projects and a 4 percent increase in rooms year-over-year. LE expects that as interest rates decline, projects scheduled to start in the next 12 months will quickly move to under construction. Extended-stay brands remain popular with developers, comprising 36 percent of projects under construction, 33 percent of those starting in the next 12 months and 34 percent of projects in early planning, the report said. Sixty-four percent of these projects are in the middle tier of brands.

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE improved in the second week of June compared to the previous week, showing mixed year-over-year results, according to CoStar. All key metrics, including occupancy, RevPAR and ADR, increased compared to the prior week. Occupancy rose to 70.3 percent for the week ending June 15, up from 69.1 percent the previous week, despite a slight 0.6 percent year-over-year decrease. ADR increased to $161.70 from $160.90, a 0.9 percent rise compared to last year. RevPAR increased to $113.62 from $111.26 the previous week, marking a 0.3 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, San Francisco recorded the highest year-over-year increases: occupancy rose 14.8 percent to 71.1 percent, ADR increased 11.3 percent to $226.70, and RevPAR grew 30.3 percent to $179.97. The market's performance was boosted by the Data + AI Summit.

THE U.S. HOTEL industry showed improved performance in May compared to the same month last year, according to CoStar. All three performance metrics-occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR-increased year-over-year. The top 25 markets reported higher occupancy and ADR than all other markets. Occupancy increased to 65.7 percent in May, up from 65.2 percent in April, and increased by 1.5 percent compared to May 2023. ADR climbed to $160.40 from $157.31 the previous month, a 2.4 percent rise from 2023. RevPAR reached $105.46, up from $102.51 the preceding month, reflecting a 4 percent increase from May of the previous year. Among the top 25 markets, New York City led in all three key performance metrics: occupancy rose 5.8 percent to 88.9 percent, ADR increased 6.3 percent to $339.25, and RevPAR climbed 12.5 percent to $301.57. Markets with the lowest occupancy for the month included Detroit at 46.1 percent and Chicago at 49.4 percent.

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL resurgence in the U.S. significantly impacted the economy in 2022, with every $1 spent returning $1.15 to the U.S. GDP, according to the Global Business Travel Association. The industry also contributed $484 billion to the U.S. GDP in the same year and the association forecasts a further increase in business travel spending for 2024. The study, titled "GBTA U.S. Economic Impact Study: Business Travel's Impact on Jobs and the U.S. Economy," revealed that for every 1 percent growth in business travel, the U.S. economy gains nearly 60,000 jobs, $2.9 billion in wages, $1.2 billion in tax revenue and $4.8 billion in new GDP. "The data shows that business travel is a substantial contributor to the health of the U.S. economy, and therefore also a key driver for the global economy," said Suzanne Neufang, GBTA's CEO. "Business travel supports millions of jobs and delivers billions in tax revenue, which is why it is important for policymakers to consider the impact on the industry when devising economic policies - and for sustainable solutions to be prioritized, funded and developed to help us abate travel's hardest-to-abate sectors."

U.S. HOTEL PERFORMANCE improved in the third week of May compared to the previous week, with positive year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar. Key metrics, including occupancy, RevPAR, and ADR, all saw week-over-week increases. Occupancy increased to 67.4 percent for the week ending May 18, up from 66.1 percent the previous week, marking a 0.2 percent year-over-year rise. ADR rose to $163.11 from $162.14, reflecting a 2.6 percent jump compared to last year. RevPAR reached $109.93, up from $107.24 the prior week, showing a 2.8 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, Houston experienced the only double-digit occupancy increase, rising 10.5 percent to 67.9 percent. Atlanta reported the highest year-over-year increases in ADR, rising by 10 percent to $137.30, while RevPAR increased by 18 percent to $98.86.

U.S. HOTEL INDUSTRY reported lower performance results in the first week of June from the previous week, according to CoStar. However, there was slightly positive comparisons year over year. All key metrics including occupancy, RevPAR and ADR were down compared to prior week. Occupancy declined to 62 percent for the week ending June 1, down from 67.7 percent the prior week, reflecting a 0.9 percent year-over-year increase. ADR decreased to $150.87 from $160.67, yet still showed a 0.1 percent increase compared to last year. RevPAR stood at $93.50, a decline from the previous week's $108.73, but marking a 1 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Among the top 25 markets, New Orleans experienced the highest year-over-year occupancy increase, rising 17.8 percent to 66.8 percent.

THE U.S. LEADS the global full-service hotel pipeline in the first quarter of 2024 with 2,272 projects and 341,854 rooms, accounting for 41 percent of all planned or under-construction hotels worldwide, according to Lodging Econometrics. Dallas and Los Angeles are among the top five cities globally in the pipeline. The global pipeline totals 15,366 projects and 2,382,195 rooms, marking a year-over-year increase of 6 percent in projects and 3 percent in rooms. LE's Q1 2024 Global Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report showed a record high in global room counts and a significant rise in full-service projects by the end of the first quarter. In the first quarter, there are 6,195 projects and 1,101,602 rooms under construction worldwide, the report said. Projects set to start within the next 12 months total 3,840 projects and 528,251 rooms, an 8 percent increase in projects and a 5 percent increase in rooms year-over-year. Early planning stage projects and rooms have reached all-time highs at 5,331 projects and 752,342 rooms, rising 12 percent and 9 percent year-over-year, respectively.

LAS VEGAS SAW 18.5 percent year-over-year growth in group business this May, while Oahu Island, Hawaii, ranked second with a 17.9 percent year over year increase, according to Knowland. The average meeting space in the top 25 markets was 3,615 square feet, compared to 3,625 square feet in secondary markets. The top 25 markets averaged 128 attendees, while secondary markets had 127 attendees, Knowland said. Las Vegas led the top 25 U.S. markets in meeting growth in May, with an average space of 7,803 square feet and 287 attendees, the report said. Key drivers included technology events like the Electronic Distributor Show and national associations such as the International Council of Shopping Centers.