As U.S. hotels close or dramatically scale back business during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s difficult to assess the value of a lodging asset that may or may not be able to recover from steep losses in revenue. And some hotel segments, such as economy extended stay, are doing well when compared to their higher priced competitors. Suzanne Mellen and her cohorts at HVS have attempted to paint a picture of what hotel values may look like in the coming months. Presenters at Long Live Lodging’s LodgingStream digital conference on April 30 said it’s too early to tell if and by how much hotel market values may change, though one speaker said he’s seeing discounts of 25 percent to 30 percent emerging. This article is part of our special report on the coronavirus and its impact on the hotel industry.
Ginny Morrison of Evanston, Illinois, is a 33-year veteran of Spire Hospitality, a hotel management company with a portfolio that spans coast-to-coast. As vice president of sales and marketing, Morrison saw the coronavirus pandemic decimate the meetings business. More than a year later, she’s witnessing a comeback as small-meeting planners are actively booking events for the last half of 2021 and beyond. As public health agencies expand COVID-19 vaccination programs across the U.S. and states ease up on public-gathering restrictions designed to keep the virus at bay, the hotel industry is seeing small meetings begin a comeback. In Episode 317, Long Live Lodging covers the state of the small-meetings sector and how hotels can grab their share of the meetings business during and post-pandemic. This report is part of our ongoing coverage about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the hospitality industry.
The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference will be the industry’s first large event to be held during the coronavirus pandemic. The Atlanta event will be a hybrid format of in-person and virtual access, also an industry first. Lee Hunter, chairman of the conference, knows the level of expectation is high among other conference planners as well as industry professionals eager to network after more than a yearlong hiatus. Episode 316 of Lodging Leaders podcast features Hunter as he tells what it takes to re-launch the industry’s conference circuit amid the COVID-19 outbreak.