STR Global, sister company of HotelNewsNow.com, released March hotel operating data for four global regions.
Europe: The European hotel sector recorded mixed results in occupancy, average daily rate and revenue per available room during the month.
Year-over-year, March 2012 figures for Europe (U.S. dollars, euros and British pounds):
| |
Europe |
% change |
| Occupancy |
63.7% |
+0.7% |
| ADR (U.S. dollars) |
$133.44 |
-2.5% |
| ADR (euros) |
€100.04 |
+3.0% |
| ADR (British pounds) |
£83.47 |
+0.7% |
| RevPAR (U.S. dollars) |
$84.95 |
-1.9% |
| RevPAR (euros) |
€63.68 |
+3.7% |
| RevPAR (British pounds) |
£53.13 |
-1.6% |
Americas: The Americas region reported a 3.8% increase in occupancy to 63.7%, a 3.5% gain in ADR to $109.06 and a 7.5% jump in RevPAR to $69.49.
Asia/Pacific: In year-over-year measurements, the Asia/Pacific region’s occupancy increased 4.4% to 69.4%, its ADR increased 4.8% to $145.64 and its RevPAR was up 9.4% to $101.01.
Middle East/Africa: The region’s occupancy jumped 14.6% to 65.1%, its ADR increased 3.3% to $175.33 and its RevPAR jumped 18.4% to $114.07.
The fallout from the General Services Administration’s convention fiasco is beginning to spread, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
Members of Congress are beginning to take action related to future federal meetings and conferences, U.S. Travel’s President and CEO Roger Dow said in a statement. These actions include:
- An amendment to a Senate transportation appropriations bill would require the Inspector General to account for any conference costing more than $20,000.
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) is seeking an inquiry into the number of government agencies that held conferences in Las Vegas during the past three years.
- Rep. Michael Michaud (D-Maine) said he will introduce a bill to banish lavish GSA conferences.
- U.S. Travel believes federal agency Inspectors General will start looking at whether kick-backs/bribes were given for meetings and conference contracts.
- The House Oversight Committee is reviewing travel records of 23 federal agencies dating to 2005.
“We are working closely with those members who are considering legislation and additional regulations on federal travel to ensure an appropriate and measured response,” Dow said. “To coordinate a united and powerful response to this crisis, we will continue to partner with the Society of Government Travel Professionals, the Society of Government Meeting Planners and a myriad of associations involved with meetings and event planning.”
2012 marks a “turning point” for the AmericInn brand, President and CEO Paul Kirwin said during the company’s annual conference, reports HotelNewsNow.com’s Jason Q. Freed.
Before 2012, AmericInn stopped growing to some degree, Kirwin said. The company has 230 hotels in the portfolio, opened seven new hotels in 2011—all conversions—and signed 10 new contracts; it signed only five contracts in 2010. “It’s critically important to drive that growth,” he said.
Kirwin said the brand set a growth goal to sign 10 new hotels in 2012. He hopes the majority of those will be new construction but understands the credit market is still challenging.
“In time, I’d like to get that up to 20, but for now let’s keep it at 10,” he said.
STR Analytics’ Steve Hennis has taken a look at the rate and demand growth after tornadic activity.
Looking back on hotel performance in Birmingham, Alabama, Hennis found the induced demand lasted for approximately five weeks after a tornado ripped through the area in late April of last year. Regarding rate, it appears hoteliers did not gouge customers following the storm, as rates largely grew at a consistent pace.
Based on the demand, Birmingham’s market received a $10-million revenue boost from the disaster during that five-week period.
Meantime, it remains to be seen what might happen in Branson, Missouri, following a devastating twister in that city earlier this year. HotelNewsNow.com contributor Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell reports that of the 11 properties heavily damaged during an early morning tornado on 29 February in Branson, six have applied for construction permits to repair damage, four have unresolved fates and one—the 104-room JR’s Motor Inn—is scheduled to be demolished.
Most of the repair work has begun. Insurance companies have not yet finished assessing the damage or applying damage cost estimates, said Garrett Anderson, director of economic development for the city of Branson. “Not all of them will need demolition, but some of them probably will,” Anderson said.
Cvent has published its list of the top hotels for meetings in the United States. The list was compiled from a pool of 80,000 properties and ranked on several criteria, including: number of electronic requests-for proposal received via Cvent’s Supplier Network in 2011; the hotel’s average response rate to the RFPs; meeting rooms available; square footage of meeting space; and amount of business received through Cvent’s Supplier Network.
The top five on the list, in order, are:
- The Peabody Orlando (Orlando, Florida)
- Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Hyatt Regency Atlanta (Atlanta)
- Rosen Shingle Creek (Orlando)
- The Venetian and Palazzo Resort, Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas)
Compiled by Shawn A. Turner.
