Latest news: Certares buys in NOLA; Colliers’ optimistic report; US RevPAR down last week

Certares acquires in New Orleans. New York City-based Certares has been revealed as the buyer of the 252-key Hilton New Orleans St. Charles for $47 million, according to NOLA.com. Aliso Viejo, California-based REIT Sunstone Hotel Investors announced on Monday it had sold the property. It’s the 15th hotel purchased by Certares since it started building its portfolio in early 2023.

Colliers report on US hotels. The financial health of hospitality assets is improving, particularly in the Northeast and Central regions, which are driven by leisure travel and the return of conferences and events, according to a report from Colliers. From April 2024 to March 2025, U.S. hotels saw RevPAR rise by 2.4%, ADR increase by 1.9%, and occupancy also ticked up slightly. The Northeast and Central regions led the country in occupancy growth at 1.3%, as cities like New York, Chicago and Nashville benefited from leisure and business travel. The South accounts for over 51% of all rooms under construction, driven by travel and investor demand in the Sunbelt. In the West, ADR is nearly 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels, with hoteliers focusing on rate growth versus occupancy gains. The report notes a modest decline in consumer travel spending, with lodging down 2.5% and airfare down 6% year-over-year. The full report can be found here.

US hotels mostly down last week. The U.S. hotel industry from June 1-7 reported mostly negative year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar. Occupancy was 67% (-3.2% YOY), ADR was $161.57 (unchanged YOY) and RevPAR was $108.23 (-3.2% YOY). Among the top 25 markets, St. Louis saw the largest increases in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (+19.5% to 80%), ADR (+7.3% to $142.59) and RevPAR (+28.2% to $114.12). The steepest RevPAR declines were seen in San Diego (-23.5% to $148.34) and Houston (-18% to $69.83).

Leela expanding in India. The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts plans to open seven hotels by 2028 in India and elsewhere. The new properties will add more than 678 keys, expanding the company’s portfolio by 19%, according to The Economic Times. The Leela brand is owned by Brookfield Asset Management and is run by New Delhi-based Schloss Bangalore Ltd. Over the last six years, Leela has grown its portfolio to 13 hotels from eight.

BWH expands in country of Georgia. BWH Hotels is expanding in the country of Georgia with signings announced for The Grand Life WorldHotels Luxury, developed in partnership with Georgian real estate company European Village and scheduled to open in 2027, It is being billed as Batumi’s first luxury city hotel. BWH Hotels will also introduce a WorldHotels Residences project in Batumi, and a Best Western Residence Panorama Red will be the second Best Western project in the city. In all, BWH is planning 10 properties in Georgia.