Alan Woinski

According to  Lodging Econometrics’ Q4 Construction Pipeline Trend Report for the Asia Pacific region ,  excluding China , the region’s total construction pipeline stands at 1,903 projects/404,222 rooms, up 5% by projects and 2% by rooms YOY. South Korea’s government will remove its entry restrictions for short-term travelers from China . Singapore property tycoon Koh Wee Meng , via his entity JK Global Wealth , made an offer of 12 cents a share for the rest of developer Global Dragon .

According to STR , Phoenix’s hotel RevPAR is forecasted to reach $419 for February 10-12, which would be the second-highest level for a Super Bowl weekend . On Friday lodging stocks were lower. SOND was the biggest mover, down -8% while ABNB was down -5% on the day. White Lodging announced the renaming of its new Autograph Collection hotel in San Antonio, Texas , formerly known as The Otis Hotel .

The DJIA fell 0.73% while Nasdaq was down 1%, the S&P 500 fell 0.88% and the 10-year treasury yield was roughly flat at 3.671%. Hilton checked nearly all the boxes with their earnings report, kicking off lodging earnings season with a bang . InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is seeking to fend off claims from franchisees five months after a cyber attack that hotel owners say cost them money and disrupted business.

STR reported China hotel RevPAR data for the week ended February 4th. China hotel RevPAR was up 35.6% year over year, despite a tough comp on Chinese New Year timing. InterContinental Hotels Group announced the recent signings of Crowne Plaza Shanghai Snow World and Shanghai Snow World Hotel, Vignette Collection . This is the first Vignette Collection hotel in Greater China. Macau’s Court of First Instance has officially declared the failed luxury hotel, THE 13 , as bankrupt.

The DJIA rose 208 points while Nasdaq was down 203, the S&P 500 fell 46 points and the 10-year treasury yield was down .02 to 3.65%. STR reported US lodging RevPAR for the week ended February 4. RevPAR was up 26.6% year over year. When compared with the same week in 2019, RevPAR was up 6.1%. Three historic buildings in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio will soon become a hotel when combined with a newly built seven-story tower.

Marriott International announced it signed an agreement with China Central Place, Suzhou to bring the Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Executive Apartments brands to Suzhou. Following in the footsteps of Hong Kong, Macau said they may start paying people to come to visit. Macau’s latest ploy to attract new visitors is an incentive scheme for foreigners that would mimic the promotional arrangement afforded to mainlanders. TIAD is a luxury hotel currently under construction and scheduled to open July 1 in central Nagoya in Japan . They formed a partnership with Marriott International.

Morgan Stanley changed price targets on its covered hotel companies . Hilton’s PT was lowered to $167 from $171, while Wyndham’s PT was upped to $90 from $87. Chatham Lodging Trust announced they repaid in full three mortgages with outstanding principal of $73.3 million and a weighted average interest rate of 8%. Four Seasons Resort and Residences Los Cabos at Costa Palmas will begin taking reservations for its ultra-luxury Private Retreats collection soon.

Marriott International’s Ritz-Carlton is presenting a newly elevated experience at The Ritz-Carlton Club across its Asia Pacific hotels, joining a successful launch in Mainland China last summer. Hanwha Hotels & Resorts signed a memorandum of understanding with Lodgis Hospitality Holdings to forge a strategic partnership to mutually boost each of their hotel and resort portfolios. New Zealand’s Sotheby’s International Realty is listing an exclusive Queenstown  development site, expected to sell for more than $40 million.

BofA Securities initiated coverage on Marriott Vacations with a Neutral rating and a $180 price target. The Wall Street Journal published an article on how hotel companies are stepping up efforts to lure competitors’ hotels to their own brands. The article referenced Hilton’s new Spark by Hilton brand. We had heard those concerns about upcoming maturities from Service Properties Trust when we were positive about their resumption of the previous dividend, giving them an 11% yield at the time.

Tour groups from mainland China to 20 countries have restarted, 11 of which are in Asia Pacific. Meanwhile, in China , hotels and restaurants are frantically searching for employees. During the first six days of work after China’s Lunar New Year holiday, job openings in the hotel and catering sectors surged 40% from the same period a year earlier. Colliers Philippines said the average hotel occupancy rate in Metro Manila is expected to further increase to over 60% this year, driven by a higher number of domestic and foreign travelers.