Latest news: US RevPAR rebounds; US inbound issues; Rotana joins Global Hotel Alliance

US RevPAR up 2.8% last week. After a rough week that saw RevPAR decline 4.2%, U.S. performance rebounded for March 16-22, according to CoStar data. Occupancy was 66% (+1.0%), ADR $165.48 (+1.8%) and RevPAR $109.22 (+2.8%). Among the top 25 markets, Anaheim saw the highest occupancy lift (+15.5% to 83.8%). Chicago reported the largest increases in ADR (+17.8% to $164.41) and RevPAR (+21.8% to $107.71). The steepest RevPAR declines were seen in Washington, D.C. (-17.8% to $133.35) and Denver (-14.5% to $80). Patrick Scholes of Truist Securities noted that luxury RevPAR was significantly ahead of all other chain scales. “We continue to view the 'wealth effect' as a factor combined with a more leisure-centric school break week.” He also noted that the results are a sequential overall improvement that he thinks is partly due to more Spring Break students. Scholes also noted that RevPAR in the Washington, D.C., market considerably underperformed all other top markets.

Canada-US air bookings down over 70%. Advanced bookings between Canada and the U.S. have plummeted by more than 70% for the summer flying season, according to analysis by the aviation data company OAG. “Future flight bookings between Canada and the U.S. have collapsed,” OAG senior analyst John Grant wrote in a blog post on Wednesday. “Using forward booking data from a major GDS supplier, we’ve compared the total bookings held at this point last year with those recorded this week for the upcoming summer season. The decline is striking -- bookings are down by over 70% every month through to the end of September.” The crashing U.S.-Canada aviation market comes amid the trade war initiated by President Trump and against the backdrop of Trump’s remarks about wanting to make Canada the 51st U.S. state, which has angered much of the Canadian public. For April, flyers hold fewer than 300,000 advanced bookings between Canada and the U.S., OAG found, down more than 75% year-over-year. For each month from May through September, advanced bookings are down between 71.4% and 72.2%.

Rotana joins Global Hotel Alliance. Two UAE-based hospitality companies are partnering as Rotana is joining the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA). Rotana has 80 properties across the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Turkey, with more opening soon. GHA has already started the integration, and all properties of five of Rotana brands – Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts by Rotana, Centro by Rotana, Arjaan Hotel Apartments by Rotana, and Edge by Rotana – will be live in the system by early 2026.

Archer Capital Group acquires in Georgia. Archer Capital Group has acquired the 65-key Homewood Suites by Hilton Augusta in Georgia from an institutional seller for an undisclosed amount. Hunter Hotel Advisors brokered the transaction.

Hilton will hit 1,000 in EMEA. Hilton said it will hit 1,000 hotels in its Europe, Middle East and Africa region this spring. The company is also introducing two new brands to the region, Tempo by Hilton and two further country debuts for Spark by Hilton.

RevPAR for extended-stay up again. Revenue, occupancy, ADR and RevPAR performance metrics compared to February 2024 were better for extended-stay hotels than the overall hotel industry. Extended-stay hotel RevPAR posted a 0.7% gain in February, which was the fifth consecutive month of positive change in RevPAR. The RevPAR increases for all extended-stay hotel segments were wholly attributed to growth in ADR as occupancy declined in February. “Extended-stay hotel occupancy declined in February, but ADR growth was high enough to result in positive change in RevPAR for the fifth straight month,” said Mark Skinner, partner at The Highland Group.

APF mezz financing on Pendry. Access Point Financial (APF) provided $75 million in mezzanine financing for the previously reported $253 million construction loan that developers SomeraRoad and Trestle Studio secured on the Pendry Hotel & Residences in Nashville. The loan bridged the gap between the Bank OZK first mortgage and the sponsor’s equity to facilitate construction. APF acted as the hotel-specific capital provider to NYC-based private equity group InterVest Capital Partners, which APF is a portfolio company.

IHG adds two in Portugal. IHG Hotels & Resorts is partnering with Grupo Onyria to sign a 309-dual-branded hotel in the tourist destination of Cascais, Portugal. The 111-key Onyria Marinha Cascais, Vignette Collection, and the 198-key Kimpton Quinta da Marinha Cascais are expected to open between this and next year. 

Salter Brothers partners in Singapore. Melbourne, Australia-based Salter Brothers is partnering with Tokyo Century as its investment manager for the joint venture development of the previously announced Hotel Indigo Changi Airport in Singapore with OUE Limited.

InterContinental coming to Cambodia. IHG Hotels & Resorts is partnering with Peninsula Bay Investment Co. Ltd. to return the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand to Cambodia. The 300-key InterContinental Sihanoukville is scheduled to open in 2028.