Dallas

Ashford REIT to Return 19 Hotels To Lenders

Financial markets experienced declines with the DJIA falling 187 points and the S&P 500 down 13 points, while Nasdaq dropped 18 points. However, lodging stocks showed mixed to higher performance despite the overall market decline. Ashford Hospitality Trust (AHT) expects to return 19 hotels to lenders in various cities, including Las Vegas and Atlanta, due to missed repayment deadlines on a $982 million mortgage pool. AHT faced negative equity in the properties and opted not to pay for an extension, potentially impacting the hotel industry's debt situation. STR's global "bubble chart" update revealed that 85% of markets saw growth in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) compared to 2019. Occupancy rates played a significant role in driving RevPAR, with coastal countries along the Mediterranean Sea showing strong growth. However, Saudi Arabia experienced the largest decline in RevPAR at 51%.

Hawaii Gets a Rosewood Luxury Resort

Stock market decline: DJIA and Nasdaq both down, S&P 500 fell, causing investor anxiety due to rising interest rates. Hotel acquisitions and auctions: Apple Hospitality acquires Courtyard by Marriott in Cleveland, Sheraton Bucks County Langhorne hotel up for auction, Holiday Inn in Charleston to become Live Oak in Marriott's Tribute Portfolio. Hotel developments: Hampton Inn & Suites in Manistee near completion, Resorts World Las Vegas opens private members' club, Virgin Hotel in Dallas changes ownership, Kona Village in Hawaii opens as a Rosewood Resort.

Pebblebrook Sees Demand Soften a Bit

Stock market: DJIA fell 219 points, Nasdaq was down 138, and S&P 500 fell 34 points. Pebblebrook Hotel Trust warns of weaker weekend leisure travel and expects slightly lower 2Q revenue. Various hotel announcements: HHM Hotels launches Echelon Luxury & Lifestyle division, Driftwood Capital acquires Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park, LBA Hospitality opens Homewood Suites by Hilton in Greenville, Renaissance Cleveland undergoing renovations, and more.

U.S. Travel Demand Looks Robust Through 2026

Stock market indices, including DJIA, Nasdaq, and S&P 500, experienced declines, while the 10-year treasury yield saw a slight increase. The hotel industry faced mixed results, with the Hotel Brand sub-index declining but the Hotel REIT sub-index growing. The U.S. Travel Association released a forecast predicting steady growth in domestic leisure travel and slower recovery in business travel.

The Hotel Business Is Good. Financing Is the Question Mark

Hotel industry experiences mixed stock market performance, with DJIA rising while NASDAQ and S&P 500 show declines. Renovations and upgrades abound, with notable projects including the multimillion-dollar renovations of Houston Marriott South and Homewood Suites by Hilton New Orleans. Exciting developments on the horizon, such as the opening of Raffles Boston and the planned multimillion-dollar mixed-use project by Beck Ventures in Midtown Dallas.

CBRE Raises Hotel Performance Forecast for 2023

STR reported US RevPAR for the week ended May 13 was down -1.3% year over year, possibly impacted by Mother’s Day timing. CBRE is again raising its forecast for hotel performance this year . The company has revised its forecast for 2023 RevPAR to $97.89, up 6.0% YOY and an increase of $0.43 from its previous forecast. Hilton announced the opening of Canopy by Hilton San Francisco SoMA .

Hyatt to Expand in Upper-Midscale Through Luxury

Hyatt Hotels held an Investor Day today. They are forecasting $650 to $850 million of free cash flow by 2025 and will be 80% asset-light for their earnings mix. Effective Thursday, the Board of Directors of Louvre Hotel Group has appointed Federico J. Gonzalez as Group CEO. Hilton announced the signing of a management agreement for the first all-inclusive Curio Collection by Hilton property in the Dominican Republic , the new build Zemi Miches All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton.

Host Hotels' Sparkling Balance Sheet

The earnings calendar accelerated in both the REIT and C-Corp section in the past 24 hours. Hyatt received the most attention with a clean beat but then some concerns creeping in. Host Hotels had a lousy two days to issue a great report with a clean and positive beat and raise. Summit Hotels came in just under consensus even with a strong top-line performance as higher hotel-level expenses hurt results.

The Strong State of U.S. Hotels

CBRE released its US Hotels State of the Union March 2023 Edition . Key takeaways include February marked nine consecutive months of easing inflation. Baird said that with industry wide March RevPAR being better than expected, it de-risked 1Q23 earnings a bit, and the trade is likely higher into the earnings prints. Jefferies said they continue to believe Host Hotels is best-positioned among peers to generate growth and expanding cash flows irrespective of macro challenges and has yet to receive valuation credit.

Record Sign-Ups for Hotel Loyalty Programs

Heading into the upcoming 1Q earnings season, JP Morgan said they expect relative upside in 1Q23 RevPAR results and, for the C-Corps, at least in-line net rooms growth with both operating metrics benefiting from improvements in China. A record number of loyalty program members should help hotel brands lower their customer acquisition costs, increased direct-to-consumer engagement and offset any occupancy shortfalls during an economic downturn. Corporate travel spending is tracking toward full recovery to 2019 levels by 2024 or 2025 , but higher costs and climate concerns will keep trip volumes smaller than pre-pandemic levels in real terms.