Minor Hotels

American visitor arrivals to Japan increased by 3.6% in the first four months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2019, making the U.S. the only Western nation, apart from Mexico, to experience a rise in tourism to Japan. Hongkong Land unveiled its $8 billion Shanghai West Bund Financial Hub project, which will include office buildings, luxury residential apartments, hotels, a public art center, and retail spaces. The development will be completed in three phases by 2027, and Hongkong Land plans to roll out 10 new developments in China in the next five years. Macau Legend Development announced its intention to sell its Laos gaming operation for $45 million to a Japanese citizen, as the company has faced financial difficulties and its owner has been arrested. After the sale, Macau Legend will have remaining plans to build a hotel and casino in Cape Verde.

Hotel industry in China shows strong recovery with a 60.4% increase in RevPAR compared to the previous year, despite a slight decline of -5.5% compared to 2019. Prominent hotel openings and expansions include Hotel Morris Sydney in Australia, JW Marriott Auckland in New Zealand, Hotel101 projects in Metro Manila and Cebu-Mactan in the Philippines, and Mondrian brand's global expansion. Anantara unveils luxurious villas in Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort in the UAE, while IHG Hotels & Resorts announces the first voco resort in Egypt's North Coast, and Six Senses Amaala prepares to launch a captivating resort in Saudi Arabia as part of the Vision 2030 program.

Strong RevPAR growth observed in China, Singapore, and India, indicating recovery and resilience in the Asian hotel industry. Minor Hotels plans significant expansion across multiple countries, capitalizing on pent-up demand and strategic partnerships. Radisson Hotel Group signs multiple new hotels in India, while ITC considers a potential demerger of its hotel business, reflecting evolving strategies in the market.

STR's global report reveals positive RevPAR growth in most markets, with notable gains in occupancy, particularly surpassing 2019 levels in half of all markets. Israel, Singapore, Greece, Italy, and Ireland emerge as top performers in terms of RevPAR among countries with over 50,000 rooms, indicating strong tourism and hotel demand. Summer approaches with rising occupancy rates in 40 out of 48 countries , signaling a promising season for the hospitality industry worldwide. However, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia experience significant declines in RevPAR compared to 2019.

China's hotel industry shows strong recovery with a significant increase in RevPAR, benefiting companies like STR and driving pent-up travel demand, particularly from Chinese tourists. Major developments in the hospitality sector are underway in various locations, including Thane (Maharashtra) where Oberoi Realty plans to develop a luxury hotel managed by Marriott International or Hyatt, and Dhaka (Bangladesh) with multiple new five-star hotels expected to open in the coming years. Hotel projects and expansions are also taking place in Nagoya (Japan), Tokyo's Shinjuku area, San Fernando (Pampanga, Philippines), and Nha Trang (Vietnam), indicating growth and investments in these respective regions.

The big news was a rumor with the Wall Street Journal reporting Choice Hotels is making a move to acquire Wyndham Hotels & Resorts . Truist upped their price target on Hyatt Hotels to $149 from $145. This follows H’s Investor Day and the tours of Apple Leisure Group resorts. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust gave their monthly update saying for 2Q23, overall demand and profitability trends continue to remain within expectations .

Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts Corp. is pushing forward with plans of increasing the number of keys in its homegrown Seda-branded hotels. Suba Group of Hotels marked another milestone in India’s Tech City – Bengaluru with the launch of Click Hotel Ayra in Seshadripuram, Bengaluru . The Novotel Jodhpur ITI Circle marks the twenty-third Novotel property opening in India.

Apple Hospitality and Xenia Hotels were the next up to report earnings. APLE beat expectations and continues to be one of the few hotel REITs reporting EBITDA above 2019 levels. XHR also beat expectations on a higher top line with RevPAR growth of 23.9%. STR reported US lodging data for the week ended April 29. Year over year hotel RevPAR was up 5.6%.

Mandarin Oriental announced that Laurent Kleitman will be taking over for James Riley as group chief executive from September 1, 2023. Radisson Hotel Group and La Vie Hotels & Resorts announced the signing of a Master Collaboration Agreement to add over 30 hotels to the Group’s portfolio over the next 10 years. ONYX Hospitality Group has signed a business alliance agreement with Walton Asset Management Co., Ltd. to manage Shama Luxe Sukhumvit Bangkok .

Hotels were reported to be full in parts of the Philippines during the Holy Week break. The Commerce Federation of Macau Central and Southern District said Macau received over 300,000 visitors during the four-day Easter holiday period . Fosun Tourism expects a sustained boom in Chinese tourism in the second and third quarters. Fosun is planning expansions in resort projects in China’s tier I and tier II cities.