Hotel News

Hotel Trends Data from STR

What does 2012 hold in store for hotel travelers?

Smith Travel Research provides hotel data and trends for the hotel industry. There were some interesting pieces of data in the blogs yesterday from STR analysts.

At the end of 2010, the year of hotel recovery, the only US market to raise room rates more than 5% during the year was New York City with a 7.5% increase in average room rates to $232.95. The data for 2011 will be compiled by STR and published in a few weeks. The initial data shows strong demand for hotels in the top 25 markets of the US, but the recovery has not spread to other less popular markets in the country.

  • There are about 5,000,000 hotel rooms in the U.S. (4,878,220 at end of 2010).
  • Online travel agencies account for 10% of a typical hotel’s bookings.
  • Nearly 30% of hotels (1.5 million) in the US are not affiliated with a major hotel brand.
  • Conversions to chain brands are expected to continue at high rate in 2012.
  • Financing for new hotels is tight and the the most significant growth area for 2012 is in luxury hotel construction.
  • New hotel construction in the economy to upper midscale hotel market segment is slowing down compared to 2010.
  • 72% of hotel requests are for suburban (35%), small metro/town (25%) and interstate (12%) locations.
  • 14% of hotel requests are for urban hotels.
  • 9% of hotel requests are for resorts.
  • 5% of hotel requests are for airport hotels.

Hotel Market Segment requests in the US

  • 2% of hotel requests are for luxury hotels (Fairmont, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, W Hotel, Park Hyatt, InterContinental).
  • 6% upper-upscale hotels (Embassy Suites, Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, Westin, Sheraton).
  • 10% upscale hotels (Aloft, Cambria Suites, Courtyard, Crowne Plaza, DoubleTree, Four Points, Hilton Garden Inn, Hyatt House, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites).
  • 21% upper midscale hotels (Hampton, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn, Best Western Plus)
  • 13% midscale hotels (Best Western, Candlewood Suites, Country Inn & Suites, La Quinta Inn, Quality Inn, Ramada)
  • 15% economy hotels (Days Inn, Extended Stay America, Motel 6, Red Roof Inn, Travelodge).
  • 33% independent hotels in all hotel market segments.

Link: STR US Chain Scales

Top 10 most-requested chains:

• Independent

• Holiday Inn Express (IHG Priority Club)

• Comfort Inn (Choice Privileges)

• Hampton Inn (Hilton HHonors)

• Best Western (Best Western Rewards)

• Days Inn (Wyndham Rewards)

• Super 8 (Wyndham Rewards)

• Courtyard by Marriott (Marriott Rewards)

• Quality Inn (Choice Privileges)

• La Quinta Inns & Suites (La Quinta Rewards)

Where are the popular places to stay?

New York City leads the nation for most requested city and market and 39 of the top 50 most requested hotels. No surprise there with Big Apple tourism coming from around the globe.

Fairmont Princess Scottsdale, Arizona is the most requested hotel outside of NYC.

Personally I prefer small towns. And it just so happens that the most requested zip code for hotel industry trends is Carmel, California (93921), population 3,938 and located next to my hometown of Monterey.

Link: Hotel News Now – The Trends in STR’s 2011 Trend Reports.

a white fence and a stone chimney
Mission Ranch, Carmel-by-the-sea, California

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1 Comment

  • gregorygrady January 6, 2012

    I have to say that blog post (the one you quoted, not yours) seems very misleading and manipulated to steer you towards whatever data it is that they want to steer you towards. It makes it seem as if this is from all of 2011, and nowhere does the blog describe the technique STR used to get this data. I’m almost certain that the data they are quoting is from a single day or week, likely around Xmas.

    1) Hence 39 of the top 50 hotels pinged are NYC hotels, cuz everybody wants to go there during NYE.
    2) Also hence the reason that Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is the highest pinged hotel outside NYC, cuz everybody wants to stay there during the largest PGA golf tournament of the year, The Waste Management Open less than a month from now.
    3) Also, hence the reason that Carmel is the #1 pinged Zip code, cuz Pebble Beach golf tourny is coming up in the next month.
    4) Finally, hence over half of the top 10 zip codes pinged are ski resort destinations.

    That blog author really needs to include his methodology, otherwise all he is really doing is sharing some random data with us that he manipulates however he wants to. JMHO.

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