Hotels in the United States had a positive first quarter, according to an analysis by STR, the parent company of HotelNewsNow.com.
The industry’s occupancy increased by 5.7% to 54.9%, average daily rate rose 3.1% to US$99.37, and revenue per available room was up 9% to US$54.56.
• Read “STR reports Q1 2011 results.”
The successful implementation of guest-facing initiatives requires significant testing on the back end, reports HotelNewsNow.com’s Patrick Mayock.
For instance, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide performed user engagement analysis during the testing of its Link@Sheraton program, which allows guests to keep in touch with family and friends while on the road. The company counted how many people used the space, for how long, and to what effect.
• Read “How to avoid snags during initiative rollouts.”
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust is at it again. An affiliate of the real-estate investment trust has agreed to acquire, for US$137 million, the 237-room Mondrian Los Angeles from Morgans Hotel Group Company.
The deal, which is expected to close later this quarter, is to be funded with available cash.
Accor is planning to have 30 hotels in India by the end of 2012 and 90 by the end of 2015, chairman and CEO Denis Hennequin said during an interview with the Business-Standard.
The company’s focus in India will be on its Ibis brand, Hennequin said.
“It’s like the ‘Big Mac’ of Accor. It is a product that has a broad appeal to a wide range of people. It is a concept that is flexible and affordable, where you can have 100 or 400 rooms depending on the location,” he said, drawing on his previous experience at McDonalds Europe.
FelCor Lodging Trust reported a net loss of US$31.7 million in the first quarter of 2011, an improvement from the US$62.9 million loss incurred during the same period a year earlier.
Same-store revenue per available room for the REIT’s 80 consolidated hotels was US$88.97 for the quarter, up 6.3% from a year ago.
"Our portfolio RevPAR growth continues to accelerate as lodging industry fundamentals improve. We are very pleased with our first quarter results given the severe travel disruptions due to record setting storms in January and February. Our RevPAR grew 7.6% in March, which was ahead of our expectations. Economic data points that correlate to demand growth indicate a strong and lasting recovery, while limited supply growth further improves our ability to drive average rate and occupancy," Richard A. Smith, FelCor's President and CEO, said in a statement.
Compiled by Shawn A. Turner.
