Ed Brock is an award-winning journalist who has worked for various U.S. newspapers and magazines, including with American City & County magazine, a national publication based in Atlanta focused on city and county government issues. He is currently senior editor at Asian Hospitality magazine, the top U.S. publication for Asian American hoteliers. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Ed began his career in journalism in the early 1990s as a reporter for a chain of weekly newspapers in Baldwin County, Alabama. After a stint teaching English in Japan, Ed returned to the U.S. and moved to the Atlanta area where he returned to journalism, coming to work at Asian Hospitality in 2016.
U.S. HOTELS SAW steady performance during the closing days of May, according to STR. Despite coming off the Memorial Day weekend sugar rush, most of metrics for the week came in at the highest levels seen during the pandemic.
Occupancy for the week ending June 5 was 61.9 percent, virtually the same as the 61.8 percent from the week before. It was down 14 percent from a comparable week in 2019, the comparison STR now makes because all comparable months from last year were impacted by the pandemic and do not represent a return to normal.
ADR for the most recent week of data was $123.49, up from $122.06 the week before and down 6.7 percent from 2019 levels. RevPAR was $76.44 compared to $75.42 the week before and down 19.7 percent from 2019.
“Each of the three key performance metrics were the highest of the pandemic era,” STR said.
Among the top 25 Markets, Miami saw the largest increases over 2019 in occupancy, up 9 percent to 77.1 percent; ADR, up 69.1 percent to $257.24; and RevPAR, up 84.2 percent to $198.30. Tampa, Florida, was the only top market to report an occupancy gain over 2019, rising 1.6 percent to 74.2 percent. The city also saw the second-largest increases over 2019 in both ADR, which rose 21.8 percent to $148.13, and RevPAR, up 23.7 percent to $109.96.
Boston saw the steepest decline in occupancy when compared with 2019, down 45.2 percent to 47.7 percent.
Sonesta launched Americas Best Value Studios, an extended-stay version of ABVI.
The model targets owners seeking limited front desk and housekeeping.
The brand meets demand for longer-term, value-focused stays.
SONESTA INTERNATIONAL HOTELS Corp. launched Americas Best Value Studios by Sonesta, an extended-stay version of its franchised brand, Americas Best Value Inn. The model targets owners seeking limited front desk and housekeeping, optional fitness center and lobby market along with standard brand requirements.
The brand aims to address the growing demand for longer-term, value-driven accommodations, Sonesta said in a statement.
"Americas Best Value Studios by Sonesta represents a strategic evolution of our trusted Americas Best Value Inn brand," Keith Pierce, Sonesta’s executive vice president and president of franchise development, said. "We are expanding our offerings to directly address the increasing demand within the extended-stay segment, providing a practical solution for travelers seeking longer-term lodging at value. This new brand type allows our local franchised owner-operators to tap into a growing market while maintaining the community-focused experience that Americas Best Value Inn is known for."
ABVI has a majority presence in secondary and tertiary markets, the statement said.
The extended-stay brand’s operational model features a front desk, bi-weekly housekeeping, on-site laundry and pet-friendly accommodations, Sonesta said. Guests can also earn or redeem points through the Sonesta Travel Pass loyalty program.
In August, Sonesta named Stayntouch its preferred property management system after a two-year review of its ability to support the company’s franchise model. The company operates more than 1,100 properties with more than 100,000 rooms across 13 brands on three continents.
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