Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

STR, TE release new forecast for 2021 at in-person Hunter Hotel Conference

Hotels’ issues finding skilled labor was a running theme at the show

STR, TE release new forecast for 2021 at in-person Hunter Hotel Conference

IT WAS A hopeful sign that the Hunter Hotel Conference was held at in downtown Atlanta after the COVID-19 pandemic caused its delay from March to May. That optimism shown through also in STR and Tourism Economics’ revised forecast for the upcoming year, which was presented at the conference.

Stronger than expected demand in the first quarter led STR and LE to raise expectations for recovery in 2021. However, the firms still are expecting full recovery of demand by 2023 and close-to-complete recovery of RevPAR is still projected for 2024. This comes after the agencies lowered its forecast for the year in January.


“The next stage of the U.S. travel recovery has commenced,” said Adam Sacks, Tourism Economics president. “An effective vaccine rollout and generous fiscal stimulus will drive the fastest single-year economic expansion in nearly 40 years. Leisure travel demand is gathering strength with substantial recovery in sight for many markets. However, transient business, group and international travel face continued headwinds, and a full recovery will take several years.”

Expectations also are high for the summer, but improvement has already been seen since the beginning of the year because vaccinated consumers have a pent-up demand for travel, said Amanda Hite, STR president.

“Consumers flush with savings felt ready to jump back into the experiences that were put on hold over the past year,” Hite said. “As we saw in late March and early April, leisure continues to be the primary source of demand although improving weekday occupancies indicate that some business travel is back in the marketplace. What remains furthest off from meaningful recovery is group business, but there is hope for upward movement in that segment as more events get back on the books. Until that point, big-box hotels and markets heavily reliant on conventions will continue to lag, keeping total industry recovery to 2019 levels in the distance. As we saw in our latest monthly P&L data release, the industry has only recently reached 50 percent of pre-pandemic GOP levels.”

Hite presented the forecast on the second day of the Hunter Conference and followed a similar report from Rachel Rothman, head of hotels research and data analytics for CBRE Hotels Research. Rothman said she expects the recovery to continue after summer because leisure travel is not the only force at work.

ENEWS 05 12 21 Hunter conference STR Rama and Patel D.J. Rama, president and CEO of Auro Hotels in Greenville, South Carolina, left, participated in a panel discussion with Mitch Patel, president and CEO of Vision Hospitality Group in Chattanooga, Tennessee, during the Hunter Hotel Conference in Atlanta. Rama said his company had to put a 60 percent cap on their hotels’ capacity because they don’t have enough staff to clean more rooms due to a labor shortage.

“As you know, there's been a lot written in the press about how this recovery is fueled by leisure. We wanted to take a moment to not only call out the holidays where you'll see the spikes,” Rothman said. “But importantly, we see the overall trend increasing outside of the holiday periods. People are not just traveling for leisure, they're traveling for business as well, and this proves that.”

A recurring theme at the Hunter Conference was the labor shortage hotels, and other industries, are facing for various reason.

“Hotels are having a difficult time finding skilled, affordable labor. This is nothing new. However, the situation does appear to be getting slightly worse,” Rothman said. “On the left, what you'll see is wages for hospitality employees versus wages for line level retail employees. Going into the pandemic, you'll see there was about a 14 percent premium, just over $2. Since the pandemic, this premium has widened to over $2.70 or 17 percent premium.”

One reason given for the labor shortage is the fact that the most recent federal relief package extended unemployment payments until September, meaning it takes more to encourage them to come back to work. D.J. Rama, president and CEO of Auro Hotels in Greenville, South Carolina, during a panel discussion at the conference told attendees they should lobby their local governments for assistance.

“I think we don't have a choice, but to take action with our governors and let them know what's happening,” said Rama. “We've actually started putting inventory caps of just filling 60 percent of our hotel rooms, because we don't have enough people to clean our rooms.”

More for you

Auro Hotels Launches $2M 'Rama Legacy' Scholarship

Auro launches $2M scholarship for employees’ children

What is the Rama Legacy Scholarship by Auro Hotels?

AURO HOTELS LAUNCHED its $2 million Rama Legacy Scholarship endowment for employees' children, continuing a tradition started by company co-founder H.P. Rama. Several students received scholarships in this inaugural year, reflecting the company’s view that its success depends on its people.

As founding chairman of AAHOA and past chairman of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, Rama believes the hospitality industry’s strength lies in developing its people, Auro said in a statement. He established the first scholarship under his family’s name in 1998.

Keep ReadingShow less
Extended Stay America survey 2025

Study: Extended-stay hotels feel more like home

What makes extended-stay hotels better than vacation rentals?

EXTENDED-STAY HOTELS OUTPERFORM vacation rentals and apartments in comfort, value and sense of home, according to a survey by Extended Stay America. About 79 percent of respondents said extended-stay hotels are like a home away from home, while 82 percent said they offer a stronger sense of home than vacation rentals or apartments.

In the national survey by ESA and Wakefield Research, respondents preferred extended-stay hotels over other options, citing amenities at 34 percent, comfort and familiarity at 33 percent and personalization at 30 percent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Zack Gharib Red Roof

Red Roof bets on people, tech for growth

Red Roof’s 2025 Vision: Innovation, Inclusion & Growth

RED ROOF IS focusing on strategic investments in people and technology to advance the brand amid evolving challenges, said Zack Gharib, Red Roof’s president. Gharib also spoke about the company’s new prototype, the power of the extended stay segment and human trafficking.

Regarding its diversity and inclusion efforts, the company focuses on its long-standing initiatives including SHE, inspired by Red Roof and Road to Inclusion, Diversity and Equality. SHE and RIDE recently helped Red Roof prioritize women and underrepresented communities with more than 30 new projects.

Keep ReadingShow less
Analyze competitive set data to boost revenue in the USA hospitality market

HotStats: Updated comp sets boost revenue

Why U.S. Hotels Must Regularly Update Their Competitive Sets

HOTELS SHOULD USE an updated competitive set to maximize revenue, control costs and maintain market position, according to HotStats. Those that fine-tune their comp sets consistently outperform others by using real-time insights to guide pricing, labor and revenue strategies.

The comp set should be reviewed at least once a year, HotStats wrote in a recent blog post.

Keep ReadingShow less
Two best friends reunite on a Days Inn trip for social media ambassador campaign

Days Inn launches $10K bestie contest

How Can You Win $10K with Days Inn’s Best Friends Contest?

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS’ Days Inn brand is launching a nationwide search to reunite five pairs of long-distance friends as brand ambassadors. The pairs, named “Days Inn-siders,” will spend a weekend highlighting a destination on the brand’s social media and receive $10,000, accommodations, flights and a daily stipend.

The initiative aligns with National Best Friends Day on June 8, and applications are open online through July 1, Wyndham said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less