News

A Closer Look at Hotel Interest Rates: Past and Future May 30, 2024

Over the past couple of months, it has become increasingly clear that interest rates for hotel financing, and just about everything else, may stay higher for longer. As markets adjust to this expectation, many investors are realizing that they may not be able to delay deals until rates drop back down to so-called “normal” levels. There is mounting pressure for financing decisions that will need to be made in the coming months. In this article, we have compiled and analyzed historical hotel interest rate data, as well as indications from the Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC or “Fed”) on the anticipated direction of future interest rates, to help provide some context for the past, present, and future of the hotel financing market.

Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority Takes Steps to Develop a Headquarters Hotel

The Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority (the Authority) has approved two resolutions critical to moving forward with the development of a 1,000-room headquarters hotel for the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC). In addition to accepting a formal letter of intent (LOI) with Omni Hotels & Resorts (Omni) to own and operate the headquarters hotel, today the Authority voted to approve a purchase and sale agreement for property at Convention Center Boulevard and Andrew Higgins Boulevard. The site, currently operated as the Sugar Mill event venue, is immediately across the street from the Convention Center and is the preferred site for the new headquarters hotel.

Hotel Cap Rates: Adjusting to a New Reality

A capitalization rate (“cap rate”) is a shorthand expression of a given investment’s return and represents the weighted average return to the debt and equity positions. As detailed in this article, hotel cap rates are higher than they’ve been in recent years and are unlikely to decline anytime soon.

Hotel Financials: Key Changes in USALI 12th Edition

The 12th revised edition of the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI) fundamentally enhances the transparency of financial and operational aspects in the hospitality industry. To quote Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic character Sherlock Holmes, “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.”

Management Company Compensation Slows in 2023

Prior research conducted by CBRE Hotels Research revealed that hotel management companies were rewarded handsomely as the U.S. lodging industry recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. An analysis performed by CBRE in April 2023 found that total hotel revenue increased by 153% from 2020 to 2022, while Gross Operating Profits (GOP) grew by 437%. This resulted in a 68% increase in the fees paid to management companies and brought management fees back to pre-pandemic levels. The increases in fees were largely due to the improved performance of U.S. lodging properties, which in turn triggered the payment of incentive management fees.

HFTP and Hospitality Net Partner on Investment Sentiment Survey, Ahead of the Inaugural HITEC Technology IC

Hospitality Net and Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) are collaborating on a brand-new survey which aims to gather and analyze data on current investment trends, funding needs, future investment priorities, technology adoption rates, and the overall market dynamics within the hotel technology ecosystem. The objective is to identify areas of growth, potential investment opportunities, challenges facing the sector, and how technological innovations are shaping the future of the hotel industry.

A New Approach to Hotel Management Fees

In the ever-evolving hospitality industry, the question of how to effectively compensate hotel operators remains crucial. While the basic premise of paying managers for their management skills holds true, the prevalent incentive fee structures may no longer adequately align with market realities, particularly for owners.