As hoteliers struggle to keep some remnant of their hotels operating, finance advisers issue a caveat emptor. SBA emergency loans are useful in crisis but only if certain elements are in place, says Dave Shah founder of Pineapple Capital Group. Paul Darrow of PHD Financial reminds prospective small-business borrowers the loans will have to be paid back. Both experts say business owners should review their cash flows and ability to take on more risk before signing any new loans or revised financing documents. In Episode 258, Long Live Lodging examines what financial solutions are available to hotel owners during the crisis, including the SBA emergency loan programs.
Lodging Econometrics has tracked the hotel industry since 1998. Its global database includes new-hotel pipelines as well as renovations and brand conversions. Hotel franchisers once eager to launch new brands are focused on converting existing hotels because it’s a faster way to recover revenue lost to the COVID-19 pandemic than through new construction. In Episode 346, Lodging Leaders explores the increasing number of conversions in the U.S. hotel industry and what owners and operators need to consider before repositioning an asset.
In the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., financiers anticipated a swell of distressed hotel businesses. Some raised rescue funds to respond to what they thought was a pending crisis. Though there are financial rescues taking place, the level of such activity is far below what industry advisers and fund managers expected. Commercial real estate investors positioned to act in the early days of the pandemic held off and are now just beginning to unleash their cash hoards totaling billions of dollars. Episode 345 of Lodging Leaders podcast explores the state of capital investment in the hotel industry.