Latest HA Perspective
InterContinental sees recovery in Europe
InterContinental delivered strong first quarter results, with its seventh successive quarter of revenue growth.
The outlook remains strong, with 6.1% revpar growth in April and European markets showing a strong recovery, up 9%.
Hyatt makes Mexico pitch
Hyatt saw revpar up, but profits flat in the first quarter, as the company concurrently announced a major investment to take the Hyatt Regency brand into Mexico City.
Having successfully integrated last year’s acquisition of the LodgeWorks portfolio, which is performing ahead of expectations, Hyatt management also raised the prospect of making further strategic investments to help drive its brands forward. Although fully 70% of Hyatt’s pipeline outside the US is currently in China and India, Europe was mentioned as one possible region for targeting acquisitions.
Orient-Express looks outside of Europe
A strong performance from its Brazilian properties helped deliver a positive first quarter for Orient-Express, though losses in the quarter were up compared with 2011.
The luxury hotel group traditionally sees negative numbers in the quarter, as some of its resorts are closed for the winter season.
Pain in Spain eases
Recent news from Spanish companies has shed a little light on the likely outlook for the sector during 2012. Spanish bank Santander has taken its first write-down on property assets, while hotel operators NH Hoteles and Melia have declared first quarter numbers indicating the market may have lifted from the bottom.
Santander’s move to take a EUR2.7bn write-down on its property loans book comes as a result of a Spanish government demand that the country’s banks make provisions of EUR30bn against their overall EUR128bn liabilities. For Santander, this is a second write-down, meaning the bank has now lopped EUR5bn off the value of their loans. The government is also pushing through mergers, including one between CaixaBank and Banca Civica.
Tourism’s economic value understood but ignored
Booming tourism activity led to receipts breaching the USD1trn barrier in 2011, and already this year’s figures gathered by UNWTO show the positive trend is continuing into this year.
During last year, there was a global 4.6% increase in tourist arrivals, leading to a 3.8% increase in spending over 2010. And it is the BRICs nations which are seeing the greatest increases in international tourism spending, as their increasingly affluent populations can afford international travel.
What our subscribers say:
"This is one of the industry news sources that I always make sure I read. Invaluable."
Martin Armitstead, Hotel Development Advisor
"Hotel Analyst has fantastic access to deal-makers and both their news comment sections are a model for others to emulate."
Chris Rouse, Senior Director, CB Richard Ellis Hotels Limited
"I believe Hotel Analyst provides an interesting and important insight to the hotel industry, giving managers and leaders in the field an excellent and much needed strategic outlook into the industry, not found in any other publication of its kind."
Arturo Esposito, General Manager - Pestana Chelsea Bridge Hotel & Spa
"Hotel Analyst provides a level of insight and analysis into the strategic issues facing the international hotel industry that no other publication attempts, let alone delivers."
Paul Slattery, Director, Otus & Co
“Hotel Analyst is distinguished from other publications by its informed analysis of the hotel sector’s key issues and events. Readers benefit from the insight delivered by the unparalleled experience, understanding and knowledge of HA’s commentators.”
Jonathan Langston, Managing Director, TRI Hospitality Consulting
“In a busy world where high values are placed on time, Hotel Analyst is one of the fastest, most effective and efficient methods of keeping abreast with developments, news and business issues in the hospitality industry. Its style is innovative and simplistic in terms of getting accurate and important information across in a publication which is always an interesting pleasure to read from many perspectives.”
Tony Potter, CEO & Managing Director, Corinthia Hotels
“Hotel Analyst delivers relevant, current and insightful reporting and opinion on the most pressing issues and opportunities facing the hospitality industry today.”
Andreas Scriven, Director & Head of Consultancy, Christie & Co
“Hotel Analyst is an extremely valuable industry update. The contributors are insightful, pragmatic and well respected; therefore their comments and analysis are invaluable.”
Jon Brown, Managing Director, Virgin Limited Edition
“Hotel Analyst provides timely and topical news concerning the hotel sector on an international level which is vital to those actively working to close deals.”
Barbara J. Levi, Senior Banker - Hotel & Real Estate Group, CREDIT AGRICOLE Corporate & Investment Bank
“As a sole practitioner I have really appreciated receiving Hotel Analyst over the last three years. It is one of my principal sources of current information and analysis and has been of material assistance to me on a number of occasions in discussions with my hotel client base. I have no hesitation in recommending your publication.”
Andrew H Bates MRICS, Consultant Surveyor
“With concise round up of news each day and quality insights into the major issues facing the industry, Hotel Analyst is a "must read".”
Andrew Gill, CEO, Jupiter Hotels
"Hotel Analyst is a publication I look forward to receiving. It allows me to keep informed on what is happening in the market without having to scan all sorts of publications. In our business we need to be constantly up-to-date with our market knowledge. Hotel Analyst does just that in one single read."
Dominique Bourdais, Director, Colliers International
“Hotel Analyst is the only publication worth subscribing to in the hospitality sector. Not only is it invaluable for the market data and news digest it provides, but also for the independent editorial insight and comment, which I find to be underpinned by an insider's understanding but also refreshingly unbridled by agenda.”
Chris Eddis, Managing Director, Mornington Capital
“Hotel Analyst not only consolidates the relevant news behind the business of hotels, but it brings context to market strategies and adds insight on topics the press releases wouldn’t cover. Not everyone may agree with these views, but it brings thoughtful dimension to the journalism, supporting the newsletter’s name.”
Cris Broderick, Senior Vice President, Hotel Capital Advisers, Inc.
Fabrizio Gaggio, Managing Director, STARHOTELS S.p.A.
"Hotel Analyst is always an interesting and informative read. The editorial team's deep understanding of the hotel industry is reflected in the balanced editorial and interesting story angles."
Jeremy Hill, Director, Christie & Co
"Not only does Hotel Analyst cover the key stories, it provides informed comment and the angle that leaves the reader reflecting."
Tim Helliwell, Relationship Director Hospitality & Leisure Team, Barclays Bank
"Hotel Analyst is my absolute favourite publication amongst the many hotel publications. It combines facts with in depth analyses and editorial wisdom. For me a must read."
Wolfgang M. Neumann, EVP & COO, The Rezidor Hotel Group
“The Hotel Analyst provides an insightful perspective on the sector especially with its focus on hotel investment. It keeps us up-to-date with the activities of the various stakeholders now active in the hotel sector. And its comments and analysis give additional food for thought. The STR Global team and I utilise it as one of our daily must-read information sources.”
Konstanze Auernheimer, Director of Marketing & Analysis, STR Global
“Hotel Analyst distinguishes itself as the leading dedicated industry journal, partly through its depth and breadth of focus, but especially with its insightful perspective. News is plentiful, analysis is rare.”
Alan Gordon, Director, AM:PM Hotels
“One of the best, most insightful and most concise hotel investment newsletter I use.”
Adrian Turner, MD, Crownway Capital
“Hotel Analyst stands out from the crowd. With the myriad of hotel publications out there it is comforting to find one that gets to the facts accurately and succinctly and supports this with its own analysis. It is the one newsletter I never miss.”
Alex Mavridis, Managing Director - integrated Hotel Asset Management, Deloitte LLP
