We’re almost at that time of the year when the CEOs of the publicly held hotel companies talk to investors and Wall Street analysts about how the last quarter went – in this case Q1.
I personally enjoy these calls because we learn about the top-line travel trends that have been driving financial results and at least a few interesting details about specific properties.
So this morning, I read with interest the “1Q14 Lodging Preview” report for real estate investment trusts (s) from Suntrust Robinson Humphrey analyst Patrick Scholes, whose work I’ve been reading for years. Here are a few nuggets from his report about:
* Mid-scale and economy segments proved to be the biggest (positive) surprise during the January-March period. Revenue per available room, the industry measurement, were up about 6.5%.
* The group booking pace picked up modestly in the first quarter, following a “soft pace” in the October-December period. Despite the improvement, Scholes doesn’t expect group bookings to skyrocket. Expect 3% to 4% growth this year, compared to 2.5% growth last year.
* Companies with significant exposure to Washington D.C. were at a disadvantage due to the market’s performance. The nation’s capitol was the weakest major market in 1Q, the report says. International, for instance, is expected to report lower revenue per available room for the U.S. than Starwood “due to its greater exposure to the Washington D.C. market and groups/convention business in general.”
Readers: I don’t have a specific question for you on this post, but if you have comments, I’d love to hear them!
