China

Goldman Sachs said the Chinese government still needs to keep its Zero-Covid policy until probably the April-June quarter. Some 39 buildings of the No.2 Island of the Ocean Flower Island , an artificial archipelago in Danzhou , South China’s Hainan Province developed by China’s debt-ridden Evergrande Group will be repurposed. Vietnam’s second-biggest listed developer, No Va Land , is firing staff and seeking urgent asset sales.

Lodging stocks were lower again. SLNA looks like it is going to go down to penny stock status, down another -28% to another new low. The last 24 hours had a barrage of earnings reports and not many of them were taken well. Hyatt was picked as the best of the group even with results some deemed as weaker than expected which says a lot about the other reports. Marriott’s 3Q was in line but net rooms growth was trimmed for the full year with China blamed.

STR reported China hotel RevPAR the week ended October 29 was down -17.1% year over year. When up against the similar week in 2019, hotel RevPAR fell -44.8%. The South China Morning Post published an article on medical tourism being ramped up in Asia. The article focused on Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia  courting medical tourists. Bali is seeking to attract world-class hospitals to the tropical island, adding medical treatment to its roster of offerings.

Shanghai ordered mass testing of all 1.3 million residents amidst another lockdown, Wuhan locked down 900,000 people for at least five days, while in Macau the MGM Cotai casino resort was locked down after a dealer tested positive. The hospitality sector in India  is looking at rapidly adding managed hotels to its portfolio. Hong Kong -based Langham Hospitality Group has launched an upper midscale brand called Ying’nFlo .

STR said China hotel RevPAR fell -35.8% for the week ending October 22   on a year over year basis. It is doubtful the RevPAR comps in China will look much better in coming weeks as Covid outbreaks following Golden Week are spurring closures and lockdowns. Best Western Hotels & Resorts signed a strategic partnership for two beach apartment buildings on Vietnam’s southeast coast .

Chinese authorities signaled a move to ease international travel requirements, just a couple of days after President Xi reiterated his Zero-Covid policy. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Sun Hung Kai Properties announced plans for a new Four Seasons hotel in historic Suzhou, China . Marriott International’s Ritz-Carlton brand announced the Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne will open its doors in the first quarter of 2023.

Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Culture, Community and Youth said Singapore’s visitor tally this year should be on the higher end of their 4 million to 6 million projection from July. According to September 2022 data from STR , Middle East & Africa was the only world region to show an increase in overall hotel pipeline activity at the end of the third quarter. JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group’s Hotel Investment Highlights Asia Pacific 2H22 said a combination of pent-up demand, a resurgence of cross-border transactions, and a buoyant travel industry will lift Asia Pacific hotel investment to over US$10.7 billion in 2022.

Hotel RevPAR in China was down -35.5% year over year while down -52.5% when up against the same week in 2019. Hyatt Hotels announced the opening of Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu , marking the debut of the lifestyle brand in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Absolute Hotel Services Group announced the first Absolute Collection property in Vietnam with the signing of Lamia Bao Loc Resort.

The commentary from President Xi at the National Congress in Beijing certainly did not sound like the Zero-Covid policy that has hampered tourism and business travel in and outside of China is going to change anytime soon. Anantara Chiang Mai Resort recently hosted an event to celebrate the renovations at the property. Chatrium Hospitality is set to unveil Chatrium Grand Bangkok on November 28, 2022. The hotel is located in the city’s Siam area and is an enhanced version of Chatrium’s luxury collection.

STR  reported China hotel data for the week ending 10/8. China hotel RevPAR was down -16.5% year over year (Golden Week). When compared with the same week in 2019, RevPAR was down -12.7%. People’s Daily , considered the Communist Party’s way of getting the message out to the Chinese, said China should stick with its zero-Covid strategy . Hyatt Place Huangshan Train Station , the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Huangshan, is officially open.