Loews Hotels & Co

Hilton acquires a majority stake in Sydell Group to globally expand the NoMad Hotels brand, with plans for up to 100 properties and integration into Hilton's commercial platforms, while NoMad Las Vegas will rebrand, addressing Hilton's gap in the luxury market.

STR reported US lodging data for the week ended 2/10. US hotel RevPAR was up 3.9% with ADR up 7%. RevPAR in Las Vegas was up 140% year over year thanks to the Super Bowl.

The stock market being as ugly as NJ and NY weather this morning probably had a lot more to do with Marriott’s outsized decline than the actual earnings report.

Accor will open 100 luxury and lifestyle hotels by 2025, with plans to sign at least 50 more projects per year.

JP Morgan upgraded Choice Hotels to Neutral and shifted Host Hotels, Park Hotels, Ryman Hospitality, and Sunstone Hotels to Neutral, citing less downside in lodging REITs. CoStar forecasts U.S. hotel demand growth of 1.8% in 2024, with occupancy increasing by 1% and room rate growth aligning with inflation, leading to RevPAR growth of 4.8% this year and 4% in 2024. Barclays shifted to Equal Weight on Marriott Vacations, expressing uncertainty in company-specific execution and favoring Hilton Grand Vacations in the timeshare sector.

STR reported a 3.3% increase in U.S. Hotel RevPAR, led by a 4.5% rise in ADR and a 5.1% increase in Group RevPAR. Deutsche Bank provided a cautious 2024 outlook for the hotel industry, highlighting a balanced risk-reward scenario with potential bull and bear cases. Keybanc reduced their price target on Xenia Hotels & Resorts, while Truist offered a differing view on Airbnb compared to Barclays.

U.S. Hotel Industry Performance (Oct 2023): Shows mixed results with slight declines in occupancy (-1.8%) and EBIDTA PAR (-1.2%), but increases in ADR (+3.0%), RevPAR (+1.2%), TRevPAR (+4.0%), GOPPAR (+3.7%), and LPAR (+5.9%). Hyatt plans over 35 new luxury hotels by 2025 across its brand portfolio. Other notable openings include Auberge Resorts' Bowie House in Texas, Six Senses Xala in Mexico, Riu Palace Pacifico's refurbishment in Mexico, and new Universal Orlando resorts.

Major indices, including DJIA, Nasdaq, and the S&P 500, experienced significant drops. BHR reached a new low, and Bernstein and B.Riley adjusted ratings and price targets for several key hotels. Hotel Transactions & Development**: Numerous hotel properties underwent ownership changes, refinancing, or development, with notable mentions like the Delta Hotels by Marriott New York Times Square and the Four Seasons Private Residences Las Vegas nearing completion. Aimbridge Hospitality strengthened its team, Melia Hotels announced multiple openings in Mexico, and Selina Hospitality launched a new location in Evia, Greece.

Lodging stocks were higher. SLNA topped the list with a 10% gain followed by AHT and VCSA, both up 6%. We start today’s newsletter on a sad note as many of you probably heard that Bruce White , the founder and chairman of White Lodging , passed away at the age of 70. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust gave a January operations update and include an update on 4Q preliminary results. Remember they roiled the Lodging REIT stocks when they preannounced weaker than expected 4Q results.

Lodging stocks were higher led by AHT, up another 10%. ABNB and PLYA were both up 7% on the day while VCSA was up 6% and HST rose 5%. Truist gave their 2023 lodging preview , saying they see a mixed bag for demand/pricing/supply trends for the lodging companies. Similar to the past nine months, they see “macro over micro” at the moment. DiamondRock Hospitality said their preliminary 4Q22 comparable revenue grew 23.4% year over year and 8.5% compared to 2019.