Texas

Hotels Change Hands, Brands Enter New Markets

Lodging stocks were mostly lower. VCSA was down -12%, SOND was down -8% but MCG was up 5% on a new Buy rating. Northland Capital Markets initiated coverage on Selina Hospitality Group with an Outperform rating and $4.50 target price. The scheduled auction of the downtown Hilton Hotel Minneapolis , previously slated for Friday, has been postponed.

Sonesta to Reflag Two Properties to The James Brand

Lodging stocks were mixed but the biggest movers were to the upside. VCSA and SLNA both rose 6% on the day. The Baird/STR Hotel Stock Index fell -10% in December. That put all of 2022 down -15% from 2021. The Hotel Brand sub-index was down -9.2% in December from November while the Hotel REIT sub-index was down -12.8% Sonesta International Hotels Corporation announced the expansion of its global development strategy to include The James brand as part of the Sonesta Franchise portfolio in the U.S. and in Latin America.

New Builds, Conversions and Proposals to Start the Year

The DJIA fell 350 points, Nasdaq was down 154, the S&P 500 fell 45 points and the 10-year treasury yield was up .01 to 3.72%. Mizuho cut their price target on Airbnb to $110 from $125. They maintained their Neutral rating on the stock. STR reported US lodging data for the week ended 12/31. US hotel RevPAR was up 4.2% year over year while up 35.6% versus the same week in 2019.

Year-End Hotel News Roundup

EF Hutton initiated coverage on Selina Hospitality with a Buy rating and $6.50 price target. STR reported US lodging data for the week ended 12/24. RevPAR was down -0.2% year over year while down -7.6% versus the same week in 2019. Bluegreen Vacation Holdings said they had a total of 3,040,882 shares of Class A Common Stock tendered in their cash tender offer to purchase up to 4.5 million common shares at $25 per share.

Ryman Hospitality Ends Year on High Note

Yesterday, Pebblebrook Hotel Trust lowered guidance for 4Q results and shook up the industry a bit. Today, Ryman Hospitality did the opposite. Lodging stocks were mostly lower with a long list of new lows, many of them REITs. New lows were set by PEB, PK, AHT, SHO, XHR, ABNB and VCSA Marriott International announced that long-time executive Stephanie Linnartz is leaving the company, effective February 24, 2023.

U.S. Hotel Trends Point to a Holiday Season Like 2019

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust cut their guidance for 4Q , citing a demand impact from Hurricane Nicole in November and weaker business/leisure demand at the end of that month. STR said US hotel RevPAR the week ended 12/17 was up 12% year over year while up 35% over the week in 2019 . U.S. hotel occupancy for Christmas and New Years mirrors 2019 trends , with warm destinations proving popular according to Amadeus .

Hard Rock International Nears Completion of Mirage Hotel Acquisition

Aloft Hotels announced it has arrived in Playa del Carmen, Mexico , marking the third Aloft hotel in the Caribbean. Two new hotels are being planned by Performance Capital Partners LLC in Surprise, Arizona . A new dual-brand Marriott TownePlace Suites and Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites. MCR acquired the Hyatt Place Miami Airport East in Miami, FL , marking the company’s ninth hotel in Florida and its first Hyatt hotel.

Commonwealth Hotels Acquires 2 Houston Properties

Overall, stocks gave back most of their pre-market gains. Lodging stocks wound up mixed on the day. Commonwealth Hotels acquired the 120-suite Residence Inn Houston-West University and the 100-room Courtyard by Marriott Houston-West University. Aimbridge Hospitality announced the expansion of its portfolio with the addition of three extended stay properties recently acquired by Three Wall Capital, LLC.

REITs Remain Cautious About Corporate Travel

MCG and INN both were up 6% while SVC and SLNA were up 5% each. SOND fell -5% on the day. Xenia Hotels & Resorts announced its board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $100 million of the company’s outstanding common shares. With the additional authorization U.S. lodging REIT management teams did express concerns about cracks in demand forming with technology customers soon after recent layoff announcements.