Radisson signs in Nepal: Radisson Hotel Group, in partnership with The Centurion Hotel Pvt. Ltd., has signed Radisson Biratnagar in Nepal to grow its presence in South Asia with over 100 hotels in operation. The 145-key hotel is scheduled to open in 3Q24. Radisson wants to more than double its footprint in South Asia with 148 properties expected to be added by 2025.
Kempinski adds in Mexico: Kempinski Hotels, Geneva, Switzerland, will grow its presence in the North American market with the takeover of a beach hotel in Cancun, Mexico. With no closure of operations, the hotel will undergo enhancements and improvements to adhere to the Kempinski brand standards and will be named Grand Hotel Cancun, managed by Kempinski, during the transition phase. From the end of the year, the hotel will be fully operated under Kempinski Hotel Cancun. The hotel offers 315 rooms and 48 suites, all featuring private balconies or terraces with views of the Caribbean Sea.
Flight bookings to Hong Kong soar: Hong Kong saw an immediate rise in flight bookings after the government announced plans of reducing the hotel quarantine period for overseas arrivals, according to data from Trip.com. The number of bookings for flights surged 249% on Monday, the day the decision was announced, from the previous day. Outbound flight orders soared 176%. Inbound bookings were mostly from Bangkok, London, Taipei, Singapore and Manchester, while those from Hong Kong mostly plan to fly to similar locations, the data showed. This rise is an indication of the increased demand from mainland Chinese residents to use Hong Kong as their stopover as its COVID norms are less stringent. As per the new travel mandate, from Friday international arrivals will be required to spend three nights in a hotel, down from seven, followed by four days during which they will be restricted from entering high-risk places like hospitals and bars.
Dubai’s performance update: Dubai’s hotel industry saw lower performance than the previous month while recovery levels to 2019 was steady, similar to historical patterns, as per preliminary July 2022 data from STR.
- Occupancy: 61%
- ADR: AED434.78 (US$118.35)
- RevPAR: AED265.26 (US$72.20)
While ADR and RevPAR declined month over month, the metrics surpassed the 2019 comparables. Occupancy came in slightly under the July 2019 level (64.7%).
Berlin’s occupancy close to 2019: Hotel occupancy in Berlin came in just below the July 2019 comparable, as per STR’s preliminary July 2022 data.
- Occupancy: 78.6%
- ADR: €111.85 (US$114.23)
- RevPAR: €87.94 (US$89.81)
Similar to historical patterns, each of the three key performance metrics were lower than June. However, comparisons with 2019 improved with occupancy less than one percentage point lower (79.2% in July 2019) and ADR more than €24 (US$24.51) higher. In terms of daily data, Tuesdays and Wednesdays showed better levels than June, indicating to continued progress in the return of business demand. The highest daily occupancy for the month (94.5%) was recorded on 12 July (Tuesday).
Sydney performance dips: Hotel performance in Sydney saw lower performance from the previous month but comparisons against 2019 levels remained steady, showed STR’s preliminary July 2022 data.
- Occupancy: 65.8%
- ADR: AU$239.96 (US$239.96)
- RevPAR: AU$157.80 (US$110.01)
Despite the month-over-month declines, the ADR and RevPAR levels were higher than the 2019 comparables (AUD197.41 and AUD154.71). Occupancy, however, was 16.1% below July 2019. When looking at daily data, Sydney hotels reported just two days of occupancy below 50%.
Clarion Pointe opens 50th hotel: Clarion Pointe, a midscale select-service brand extension franchised by Rockville, Maryland-based Choice Hotels International, has opened the brand’s 50th hotel. This milestone comes on the heels of several recent openings, including in the markets of Greensboro, North Carolina; Abingdon, Virginia; and Indianapolis, Indiana. In the first half of the year, the brand awarded contracts went up almost +20% over last year. Clarion Pointe will also further expand with additional franchise openings in markets like Durham, North Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Baltimore, Maryland.
Davidson grows in Michigan: Fairwood Capital, Memphis, Tennessee, has selected Atlanta, Georgia-based Davidson Hospitality Group to manage Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, Michigan, under Pivot, its lifestyle operating unit. The 143-key property marks Davidson’s third hotel in Michigan. Davidson’s portfolio currently comprises 80 properties, over 19 restaurants, bars and lounges and more than 1.5 million square feet of meeting space in the U.S.
AAHOA initiative for women leaders: AAHOA has launched ElevateHER, an initiative to elevate, educate and empower the women hoteliers of AAHOA in the industry. In a predominantly male-dominated industry, the impact of ElevateHER can help women shatter the glass ceiling and pursue their own entrepreneurial journey. The program will offer educational and networking opportunities for women hoteliers and hospitality professionals and uplift AAHOA to be the primary advocate and resource for women in the industry. As part of the initial launch of the initiative, AAHOA will host a Women Hoteliers ElevateHER Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 26 and 27, which will grow women hoteliers’ scope and view of what is possible professionally and personally in the industry.