AHLA opposes NLRB’s proposed rule: The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) says proposed regulations by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to establish a new “joint-employer standard” under the National Labor Relations Act “would have a chilling effect on the hotel industry and the entire U.S. franchising model.” “The rule will minimize franchisees’ control over their own businesses, severely complicate hotels’ ability to contract with independent vendors and allow courts and government bureaucrats to subjectively determine joint-employment liability,” AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers said in a statement.
Hotel Indigo to double global footprint: Hotel Indigo, a Luxury & Lifestyle brand under IHG Hotels and Resorts, plans to grow its global portfolio from 135 open hotels today to over 200 in the next three years, supported by strong interest from owners across the Americas. With 69 open hotels and 29 planned properties (roughly a quarter of the brand’s total pipeline worldwide) in the Americas, Hotel Indigo plans to surpass 100 open hotels in the region by 2025. The brand’s anticipated openings include New York City’s Financial District and the Galapagos Islands.
Berlin performance dips: Hotel performance in Berlin fell month over month, STR’s preliminary November data indicated.
· Occupancy: 69%
· ADR: €109.75 (US$115.57)
· RevPAR: €75.73 (US$79.74)
Although occupancy and RevPAR were below November 2019 comparables (by 15.8% and 4.4% respectively), ADR levels surpassed 2019 levels (+13.7%). Hotels in Berlin continue to report strong weekday levels, indicating increased business demand. The highest daily occupancy levels in November were recorded on the 9th and 24th at 86.1% and 82.3% respectively.
Jeddah’s performance surpasses 2019: Jeddah’s hotel performance was lower than the previous month but surpassed 2019 metrics, according to preliminary November data from STR.
· Occupancy: 54.5%
· ADR: SAR586.71 (US$156.23)
· RevPAR: SAR319.50 (US$85.08)
The occupancy level was at its lowest since April 2022, while RevPAR and ADR were at their lowest point since February 2022. However, each of the three key performance metrics bypassed 2019 comparable: occupancy (+16.2%), ADR (+13%) and RevPAR (+31.3%). In terms of daily data, the highest occupancy (75.2%) was record on November 30, a Wednesday, the only day it came in over 70%.
Pandemic-era high in Sydney: Hotel performance in Sydney posted its highest performance levels since the beginning of the pandemic, according to STR’s preliminary November data.
· Occupancy: 79.8%
· ADR: AUD273.07 (US$185.53)
· RevPAR: AUD217.79 (US$147.97)
Sydney’s ADR level was the highest for any month on record barring September 2000 when it hosted the Sydney Olympics. Occupancy and RevPAR were the highest since November 2019 and February 2019, respectively. Despite the pandemic-era high, occupancy was 7.9% below the 2019 metric. In terms of daily data, Sydney recorded 27 days of occupancy levels above 70%, with the highest occupancy recorded on November 12 (90.5%) and November 19 (89%). STR’s occupancy-on-the-books data indicates continued high occupancy rates through December and January. As of December 5, occupancy for New Year’s Eve stood at 79%.
Singapore room rates hit a 14-year high: Average room rates in Singapore hit a 14-year high in September, boosted by the return of major events. Data from the Singapore Tourism Analytics Network indicated room rates hit an average of S$283.47 (US$209.27) a night in September and stayed in the S$280 (US$206.71) range in October. November figures are not yet available. The previous highest average room rate was recorded in September 2008, the year of the first Singapore F1 race, when prices touched S$298.65 (US$220.48). While room rates peaked, occupancy rates also climbed from 78% in the first quarter of 2022 to 84% in the third quarter of 2022.
Dunes Manor to reopen in 2023: The Dunes Manor Hotel, the hotel in Ocean City, Maryland, which closed soon after Thanksgiving, will rebrand and reopen as a Hilton Garden Inn. Construction on the hotel has already started. The hotel is owned by OTO Development. The hotel is expected to open in June 2023.
Cromlix hotel to move to self-management: Sir Andy Murray’s Cromlix Hotel in Dunblane, U.K., will move towards self-management in 2023 to give the tennis player’s family a greater role in running the business. The hotel, acquired by Murray and his wife in 2013, has been operated by Inverlochy Castle Management International. From January 3, 2023, the hotel will close for around three months to refurbish its 15 rooms, bathrooms, and common spaces, as well as carry out improvements on the 34 acres of grounds with new landscaping and planting. Barry Makin has been appointed as the new general manager, with Emily Shields named as the new head of sales, and marketing and Neville Ablitt appointed as non-executive director.
Tommy Bahama moves into hotels: Tommy Bahama, the Seattle, Washington-based lifestyle and retail brand, is making a foray into the hospitality market with the launch of a resort concept. The company will rebrand the existing Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, California, and reopen it as Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in late 2023. The property will comprise 215 rooms, including 23 suites, 35,000 square feet of meeting and event space, three resort-style pools and a 12,000-square-foot spa. After more than a decade of involvement with the property, Lowe acquired the resort in 2020 and started a renovation program. The resort will stay open during the transformation.
Larmont Sydney sells: Australia-based Pro-invest Group has acquired the 103-room Larmont Sydney by Lancemore Hotel for AU$46.3 million (US$31.45 million). The property was last traded in 2015, when Singapore-headquartered TEE Land, Singapore-based Kenmooreland Pte. Ltd. along with Australia-based The Lancemore Group acquired the former 76-room Diament Hotel for UA$23.2 million (US$15.76 million).
2022 travel preferences: New data from Tripadvisor showed that the most popular searches on its website in 2022 were “beach” and “resort,” and 50% of travelers globally said that the main purpose of their trip was “relax and rejuvenate”. The site also said that city breaks were back in favor, with 43m searches for London, 20m for Las Vegas, and 11m for Bangkok.