Japan may widen state of emergency beyond Tokyo
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he is considering extending a state of emergency further beyond Tokyo to include Aichi prefecture, home to Toyota Motor Corp, and other central and western areas to curb the spread of COVID-19. Responding to pressure from Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures in the east of Japan’s main island of Honshu, Suga last week declared a one-month state of emergency for that region until Feb. 7.
Aspen-Snowmass occupancy plummeting
Aspen’s lodging occupancy plummeted 34% in December, but prospects look even worse for January, according to the latest report from central bookings agency Stay Aspen Snowmass. The Aspen lodging industry managed occupancy of 41% in December, down from nearly 62% for the month the prior year. Snowmass properties reached 43% occupancy, down 16% from December 2019, according to the report.
D.C.’s Wardman hotel driven into bankruptcy
The owner of the Marriott Wardman Park hotel in Washington, D.C., filed for bankruptcy protection, becoming the latest hotel to collapse amid the coronavirus outbreak. Wardman Hotel Owner LLC filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware, listing assets and liabilities of US$100 million to US$500 million, according to a bankruptcy declaration. The debtor is owned by Pacific Life Mutual Holding Co., the papers show.
Melbourne performance levels highest since early in pandemic
Melbourne’s hotel industry reported its highest performance levels since early in the pandemic, according to preliminary December 2020 data from STR.
Year-over-year declines remained significant in comparison with December 2019:
Occupancy: 40.9% (-48.3%)
ADR: AUD149.90 (US$115) (-19.4%)
RevPAR: AUD61.35 (US$47) (-58.3%)
Each of the three key performance metrics was the highest in Melbourne since March. The market was helped by weekend leisure demand as the local economy began to reopen post-lockdown. When looking at daily data, the highest performance was seen on New Year’s Eve: occupancy (63.8%), ADR (AUD239.87) (US$185) and RevPAR (AUD153.08) (US$118).
Dubai performance way up, too
Dubai’s hotel industry reported its highest performance levels since the start of the pandemic, according to preliminary December 2020 data from STR.
Although down in year-over-year comparisons, Dubai’s three key performance metrics also pulled closer to pre-pandemic levels:
Occupancy: 71.0% (-10.0%)
ADR: AED608.92 (US$166) (-9.1%)
RevPAR: AED432.34 (US$118) (-18.2%)
Absolute ADR and RevPAR were the highest in Dubai since January, while occupancy was the market’s highest since February. When looking at daily data, Dubai’s best performing day was 31 December: occupancy (82.0%), ADR (AED1,364.63) (US$371) and RevPAR (AED1,119.25) (US$305).
London performance up slightly
STR’s preliminary December 2020 data for London hotels showed slightly higher performance levels compared with the previous month. Year-over-year declines remained significant.
Occupancy: 24.0% (-70.3%)
ADR: £85.58 (US$116) (-46.2%)
RevPAR: £20.57 (US$28) (-84.0%)
Each of the three key performance metrics were up from November, thanks to higher performance towards the beginning of the month. With a new variant of the COVID-19 virus and stricter lockdown rules, daily occupancy remained under 20% during the last half of the month.
Travelers eyeing spontaneous trips in 2021
The “2021 Upgrade Report” from Hotels.com has identified a spike in last-minute reservations and upgrading following a lost year for travel. Some 89% of Americans reveal they intend to be more spontaneous than ever in 2021, with over a quarter revealing they would say yes to more last-minute trips (28%). One in five (26%) said they would take off on a long-haul trip for just a few days or make no plans for the trip in favor of being spontaneous when they arrive (25%). A further 17% said they will be booking a 5-star hotel for their 2021 getaways. Analysts at Hotels.com also predict this extravagant attitude will have a dramatic impact on hotel booking behavior. Compared to pre-pandemic times, over a quarter (26%) would now book a better hotel room, and nearly a quarter would spontaneously say “yes” to a room upgrade if offered when booking (24%).