U.S. PERFORMANCE IMPROVES: Hotel performance in the U.S. improved from last week, showed STR’s data through Feb. 18.
- Occupancy: 60.8% (-5.5%)
- ADR: $156.10 (+19.5%)
- RevPAR: $94.94 (+12.9%)
For the first time since the week ending Nov. 19, 2022, weekly hotel occupancy in the country reached the 60% mark. Among the top 25 markets, Washington, D.C., was the only market to post an increase in occupancy over 2019 (+2.2% to 59.1%). Driven by Super Bowl LVII, Phoenix registered the highest ADR (+58.4% to $278.20), and RevPAR (+44.6% to $221.02) increased. The steepest RevPAR declines were recorded in San Francisco (-25.9% to $124.24) and Chicago (-11.7% to $60.24).
DUSIT DEBUTS IN JAPAN: Thailand-based Dusit International has debuted Dusit Hotels and Resorts in Japan with two properties in Kyoto — ASAI Kyoto Shijo and Dusit Thani Kyoto, which will open in June and September respectively. Operating under Dusit’s flagship brand, Dusit Thani Kyoto will offer 150 rooms across four floors, event spaces, a fitness center, a wellness center, a restaurant, a social club and a tea shop. ASAI Kyoto Shijo will feature 114 rooms, a dining room and a communal hub. Presently, Dusit has 48 operating hotels under six brands and more than 300 luxury villas, with over 60 properties in the pipeline.
APARTMENT HOTEL IN BALTIMORE: Baltimore Peninsula development team, led by MAG Partners and MacFarlane Partners, and design company Method Co. have announced plans for a new design-centric ROOST Apartment Hotel. Located in Baltimore, Md., the 81-room ROOST Baltimore Peninsula will be situated in the Baltimore Peninsula, a 235-acre mixed-use waterfront neighborhood. The team, along with joint venture partners Sagamore Ventures and the Urban Investment Group within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, will open the hotel this summer. Designed by architecture company Hord Coplan Macht, the multi-million-dollar project will consist of furnished one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment units with interiors designed in collaboration between interior design firm Aumen Asner Inc. and Method Studios. Method Co. will be leasing out 40 apartment units for long-term residents who will enjoy access to the building’s amenities. The property will include an onsite fitness center, a pool and 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenity space.
HARD ROCK ATLANTIC CITY ANNOUNCES $10M IN BONUSES: Union and non-union team members of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City will receive more than $10 million in bonuses, the hotel announced at a town hall gathering. Many team members also won a share of $100,000 in cash and prizes. Hard Rock International’s commitment to its team members includes last year’s announcement of a $100 million investment to increase the salaries of its workforce in the U.S. The capital improvements are part of the Fifth Anniversary Celebration, expected to bring a significant entertainment lineup in Hard Rock’s five-year history through an investment of more than $30 million.
CANADA PERFORMANCE EXCEEDS 2019 LEVEL: Hotel performance in Canada dipped marginally in January from December 2022 but exceeded the 2019 comparables, as per STR’s January 2023 data.
- Occupancy: 50.7% (+0.3%)
- ADR: CA$167.96/US$124 (+14%)
- RevPAR: CA$85.11/US$62.83 (+14.2%)
Despite downward pressure on disposable household incomes, tourism spending stayed high. Transient demand was 9% above the pre-pandemic comparable, while group demand was 14% below 2019 levels but is projected to pick up in the rest of the year. Manitoba posted the highest occupancy (64.3%) in January, surpassing the pre-pandemic figure by 20.9%. Among the major markets, the highest occupancy was recorded in Vancouver (63.9%), which was 1.3% behind 2019 comparable. Among the provinces, Prince Edward Island registered the lowest occupancy (36.3%), up 14.1% from 2019. At the market level, Edmonton saw the lowest occupancy (43.2%), 6.4% below the pre-pandemic comparable.