UK demand set to improve: Hotel trading in the U.K. is expected to improve in 2022, with the forecast for occupancy rates by the end of 2022 set to range between 70% and 90% of the pre-COVID levels in London, according to PwC’s UK Hotels Forecast 2021-2022. The year is expected to start slow, while increasing payroll cost pressures likely to last through the year due to labor shortage. The ADR in London is projected to improve to £112.26 (US$154.14) in 2022, rising by £27.78 (US$38.14) since 2021. This boosts RevPAR to £63.69 (US$87.45) in 2022. Staycations have driven ADR and occupancy in coastal and leisure destinations. While the overall demand for staycations will stay the same in 2022 as it was in summer 2021, it will be more evenly spread out through the year. Occupancy in London’s luxury hotel market declined to 18% this year, with budget and mid-range hotels benefitting from the domestic tourism demand.
Athens Group, MSD Partners acquire in Florida: The Athens Group, Phoenix, Arizona, and MSD Partners, New York City, have acquired the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Naples, Florida. MSD and Athens will be redeveloping the site into the Naples Beach Club, a beachfront resort and residential development project spread over 125 acres, which will include a 216-room hotel managed by Four Seasons and Resorts, 185 luxury residences and club facilities curated by Discovery Land Company. The residences will be designed by architectural firm Hart Howerton and interiors will be created by Champalimaud Design. The initial phase of residences will feature 58 beachfront residences, four beach houses and four penthouses along with 12 golf side residences. Construction is slated to begin in 2022 with pre-sales for the first phase of homes being launched earlier this year.
Anantara adds to management portfolio: The Anantara brand of the Minor Group, Bangkok, is rebranding a property in Rome to the 238-key Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel. The property, previously known as The Palazzo Naiadi (formerly the Boscolo Exedra Roma), is presently undergoing transition to the Anantara brand. It is owned by Covivio Hotels, which acquired the property and seven other hotels in January 2020 from The DEDICA Anthology. Minor, via its NH Hotels brand, took control of the property in September 2020.
International travel searches surge: Searches for international travel to the U.S. jumped 48% on Saturday from the same day previous week, according to travel website Kayak, which is owned by Booking Holdings Inc. Meanwhile, Expedia recorded a 28% and 24% increase in travelers from the U.K. and France respectively searching for hotels in the U.S. comparing October 8 to 10 to October 15 to 17. This comes after the White House announced on Friday that travel restrictions for fully vaccinated international travelers would be lifted from November 8. The CDC said foreign nationals who have received mixed doses of vaccines will be permitted to travel to the U.S. although the government’s policies on exemptions, including those for children, are yet to be clarified.
Valor Hospitality debuts in Dubai: Valor Hospitality Partners, Atlanta, Georgia, announced the addition of the IntercityHotel Dubai Jaddaf Waterfront to their management portfolio, marking their debut in Dubai. Set to open later this year, the 138-room hotel is a partnership between Valor Hospitality, City Investments and Deutsche Hospitality. This is Deutsche’s first franchised IntercityHotel in the Middle East.
Evolution to manage Le Meridien Tampa: Aimbridge Hospitality’s lifestyle operating division, Evolution Hospitality, which is based in San Clemente, California, has been selected to manage the 130-room Le Meridien Tampa, Florida. The historic property features over 4,800 square feet of elevated meeting and conference space.
Sustainability report for Asia: Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Hong Kong saw reduced energy usage per square meter for all hotel types in 2019, as compared to 2018, while India recorded continuous reduction in energy usage per square meter for all hotel types since 2016, according to the fifth edition of the Asia Pacific Survey of Hotel Sustainability Trends by Greenview and Horwath HTL. While Indonesia saw continuous reduction in energy cost per square meters since 2015 (with an overall reduction of -30.98%), Malaysia and Thailand recorded continuous reduction in energy cost per square meter since 2017 (with overall reduction of -17.21% and -7.32%). Over 86% of hotels have their interiors equipped with LED lighting, while 82% of respondents have either eliminated or are in progress of eliminating single use plastics at their hotels to an absolute minimum.