Quotes of the Week: Hyatt, Sonder, CBRE, Viva Resorts by Wyndham

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“We are thrilled to be working with RIDA and Ares on this transaction, and in collaboration with these world-class developers, we will continue driving the success of Hyatt Regency Orlando and thoughtfully expand our brand footprint in the most-visited destination in the U.S. with a new Grand Hyatt hotel.” – Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt Hotels Corp.   Read story

“Europe has always been a major area of focus for us because it is always hard to grow there. We recently bought a brand called me and all, and between standard portfolio, which includes the bunkhouse brand, I think we can penetrate a lot of markets in Europe, which have historically been really hard to develop in.” Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt Hotels Corp., on CNBC   Read story

“Today’s announcement is the result of deliberate and thoughtful planning by the Board and the management team to best position Sonder to deliver value for all stakeholders. Sonder has been relentlessly focused on operational efficiency to deliver long-term profitability and these actions are the next step in achieving that goal. With significantly improved financial flexibility from the support of our lenders and investors, Sonder now has a stronger balance sheet to fuel its value creation strategy as it embarks on its next chapter, including the strategic licensing agreement with Marriott.” – Janice Sears, Sonder Board of Directors   Read story

“We expect low single-digit RevPAR growth over the near-term as election-related events, growth in inbound international travel, and an anticipated lower interest rate environment should support hotel demand. Challenges including weakening consumer spending and increased competition from short-term rentals, cruise lines and other lodging alternatives pose downside risks.” – Rachel Rothman, CBRE   Read story

“In hindsight, the anticipated panic that Paris would be overcrowded throughout the Olympics quickly faded, perhaps in favor of other French markets, such as Marseille, which saw occupancy levels reach as high as 83%, Lille saw an 82% lift in occupancy, averaging at 70% during the Olympic period, which drove a 147% increase in RevPAR. We are now looking towards the Paralympics, with Paris hotel bookings currently running at an average of 49.7%.” – Samantha Mardkhah, STR   Read story 

“It’s unexplored, it’s off-the-beaten path, it’s clean and pure. It’s truly a new destination in the Dominican Republic.” – Erika Sordo, Viva Resorts by Wyndham   Read story

“The hospitality market is shifting in Japan, particularly with the very strong growth forecast for inbound tourism, creating a number of opportunities. Partnering with Salter Brothers brings together exceptional capital, reach and operational capability, providing our partnership a competitive advantage in this market.” – Yoichiro Nakai, Tokyo Century Corp.   Read story

“Having a set-up in the U.K. means the U.K. and Western Europe are a logical growth prospect. The Benelux countries would also be easy for us to bolt-on, but we’re not looking at anything there right now.” – Iqbal Jumabhoy, ProsperCap   Read story