Crescent Hotels now managing The Westin Great Southern Columbus




Crescent Hotels now managing The Westin Great Southern Columbus


https://hotelsmag.com/news/westin-great-southern-columbus-management/?



Crescent Hotels & Resorts has assumed management of The Westin Great Southern Columbus, a historic hotel in downtown Columbus, Ohio, owned by Whitestone Companies. The agreement expands Crescent’s presence in the Columbus market, where the company has managed properties across major brands.

The Westin Great Southern Columbus was built in 1897 and is recognized as one of the city’s most longstanding hotels. Its location places it near the Ohio Statehouse, the Brewery District and the Scioto Mile. The property has 188 guest rooms and suites along with more than 13,000 square feet of meeting and event space. It also features Bar Cicchetti, an Italian restaurant on site.

Crescent stated that its approach includes a focus on operations aligned with ownership priorities and performance outcomes. The company has experience managing Westin hotels in multiple markets and will oversee day-to-day operations at the property.

The hotel transition reflects Crescent’s continued growth in Ohio and its strategy of managing hotels with established brand partners. The company has operated within Columbus for several years and has worked across multiple hospitality segments in the region.

The Westin Great Southern Columbus has long been part of the downtown landscape due to its age and location. The property remains positioned near government offices, business centers and local points of interest, which supports both business and leisure demand within the city.

Crescent will focus on guest experience standards and operational goals at the hotel. The company’s responsibilities include hotel service delivery and management of the food and beverage venue on property. With the addition of this hotel, Crescent continues to increase its portfolio of Westin locations in key cities.

The Westin Great Southern Columbus will continue operating under the Westin flag and remains accessible to guests visiting central Columbus. The hotel has maintained a presence in the market through its downtown placement and proximity to cultural and commercial areas. Crescent’s management role is expected to support ongoing hotel operations and align with ownership priorities set by Whitestone Companies.




Hyatt beats on luxury and fee strength

https://www.hotelinvestmenttoday.com/Financials/C-Corps/Hyatt-beats-on-luxury-and-fee-strength?

CHICAGO – Hyatt Hotels Corp. followed its comp set for third quarter results with its luxury business driving RevPAR growth in the third quarter, which finished up 0.3% systemwide versus 3Q24.

Hyatt reported net rooms growth 12.1% and 7.0% when excluding acquisitions.

While leisure transient RevPAR was the strongest area of growth, group RevPAR growth was negatively impacted by approximately 100 bps due to the timing of the Rosh Hashanah holiday.

Net Package RevPAR increased 7.6% YOY in the third quarter, further illustrating the strong performance of luxury all-inclusive travel.

“Our third quarter results reflect the strength of our core fee business and our disciplined approach to cost management,” said Hyatt President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian. “As we continue our evolution to a brand-led organization, we are focused on elevating guest experiences, deepening customer loyalty through World of Hyatt, and expanding into high-growth segments and geographies. Looking into the fourth quarter and beyond, we believe our high-end customer base, robust pipeline with significant white space for growth, and rapidly expanding loyalty program position us to drive sustained growth and create long-term value for our shareholders.”

R.W. Baird analyst Michael Bellisario wrote that Hyatt’s total gross fees matched their estimate (RevPAR was a touch better), but Adjusted EBITDA was $9 million ahead of Baird/Street forecasts, suggesting lower Adjusted G&A expense and higher Playa contribution more than offset a significant shortfall in the Distribution segment.

He also noted that Hyatt just announced the renewal/extension of its co-branded credit card with Chase and expects to earn $55 million of incremental earnings in 2027E.

Gross fees of $283 million increased 5.9% in the quarter, compared to the third quarter last year or 6.3% excluding the impact of the Playa Hotels acquisition.

Hyatt also said it expects to close on the Playa Real Estate Transaction to sell 14 properties to Tortuga Resorts by the end of the year and use the proceeds to repay the amounts outstanding under the $1.7 billion delayed draw term loan used to finance a portion of the Playa Hotels acquisition. Concurrent with the sale, the company will enter into 50-year management agreements for 13 of the 14 properties.

On September 18, one property in Playa del Carmen was sold to a separate third-party buyer for approximately $22 million.

Full-year guidance

Hyatt provided full-year guidance. Excluding the impact of the Playa acquisition and pending transaction, comparable system-wide hotels RevPAR growth is projected between 2% to 2.5%, compared to the full year 2024.

Bellisario noted that full-year earnings guidance is down ~0.5%, which appears to reflect the potential impact from Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.

Net rooms growth, excluding acquisitions, is projected between 6.3% to 7.0% YOY.

Net income is projected between $70 million and $86 million.

Adjusted EBITDA is projected between $1.090 billion and $1.110 billion, an increase of 7% to 9% YOY after adjusting for assets sold in 2024.

Capital returns to shareholders is projected to be approximately $350 million, through a combination of dividends and share repurchases.

Fee details

Base management fees increased 10%, driven by managed hotel RevPAR growth outside of the U.S. and the contribution of newly opened hotels.

Incentive management fees grew 2%, led by newly opened hotels and hotel performance in Asia Pacific, excluding Greater China.

Franchise and other fees expanded 4%, due to non-RevPAR fee contributions and newly opened hotels, offset by the elimination of fees from the eight Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara properties that were part of the Playa Hotels acquisition.

Owned and leased segment Adjusted EBITDA increased 7%, compared to the third quarter of 2024, after adjusting for assets sold in 2024 and the impact of the Playa Hotels acquisition. Comparable owned and leased margin decreased by 40 bps in the third quarter, compared to the same period in 2024.

Distribution segment Adjusted EBITDA declined compared to the third quarter of 2024 due to lower booking volumes and the lapping of a one-time benefit from ALG Vacations travel credits last year which was not offset by higher pricing and effective cost management.

Openings, development

Hyatt opened 5,163 rooms during the third quarter and announced a new master franchise agreement with China’s HomeInns Hotel Group with plans to open 50 Hyatt Studios over the next several years and develop a robust pipeline to fuel future growth across China.

The pipeline of executed management or franchise contracts was approximately 141,000 rooms, an increase of 4.4%, compared to the third quarter of 2024.



Host beats on better top-line performance

https://www.hotelinvestmenttoday.com/Financials/REITS/Host-beats-on-better-top-line-performance?

BETHESDA, Maryland – Host Hotels & Resorts reported solid third quarter results with quarterly comparable total RevPAR growth of 0.8% due to improvements in room revenues and ancillary spend driven by increased transient demand.  Comparable hotel RevPAR growth was 0.2% driven primarily by increases in room rates and strong transient leisure demand, along with the continuing recovery in Maui, which collectively offset an expected decrease in group demand.

Host raised its full-year comparable RevPAR growth guidance to ~3.0% over 2024. RevPAR growth for 4Q25 is forecasted to be approximately +1.5%. It also announced its second Marriott Transformational Capital Program and completed the sale of the Washington Marriott at Metro Center in late August to T2 Hospitality for $177 million and provided seller financing of $113.75 million.

Host EBITDA was $309 million, which is -1.3% YOY reflecting a comparable hotel EBITDA margin decrease of 50 basis points to 23.9% due to increases in wages and benefits expense. Margins were -50 bps. Total expenses were +1.4% and costs per occupied room were +4.2%.

“We delivered better than expected comparable hotel Total RevPAR growth of 0.8% over the third quarter of 2024, driven by strong transient demand leading to improvements in room revenues and ancillary spend,” said Host President and CEO James Risoleo. “Comparable hotel RevPAR also outperformed our expectations, increasing 0.2% over the third quarter of last year, driven by higher rates across the portfolio and improving leisure transient trends in Maui. As a result of our outperformance, we now expect comparable hotel RevPAR growth of approximately 3.0% and comparable hotel Total RevPAR growth of approximately 3.4% over 2024, exceeding the high end of our previously announced guidance ranges."

Risoleo continued, “We continued to actively manage our portfolio with the sale of the Washington Marriott at Metro Center in the third quarter and made additional progress on our portfolio reinvestments. We are very pleased to have entered into a new agreement with Marriott to complete transformational renovations at four properties in our portfolio ($300-$350 million of capex). We believe Host is well positioned to benefit from favorable demand trends as a result of our investment-grade balance sheet, our size and scale, our diversified business and geographic mix, and our continued reinvestment in our portfolio.”

R.W. Baird analyst Michael Bellisario noted that Host’s third-quarter earnings beat was led by better top-line performance in Maui, New York City, and San Francisco.

As expected, Host said group room nights for the third quarter were down year-over-year as a result of planned renovations under the Hyatt Transformational Capital Program and a shift in the timing of holidays.

The State of Aviation 2025


https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel/our-insights/the-state-of-aviation

Can the aviation industry soar to new heights, or will headwinds slow its progress?

The aviation industry is enjoying a welcome boost from resurgent postpandemic air travel demand. But there remain potential storms to navigate. This report analyzes the industry’s current trajectory while pointing toward possible future landing spots.

How might economic trends and geopolitical events shape aviation? What product offerings are most likely to find favor with air travelers? How can airlines adjust their business models, plan their schedules, and calibrate their fleets in ways that achieve their commercial and operational goals?

During a moment that combines great promise with great uncertainty, it’s crucial for aviation stakeholders to ground their decisions in solid facts, careful analysis, and hard-earned insights.

Can the global airline industry continue its climb?

After some turbulent years, the airline sector is on a recent upswing. In 2023 and 2024, nearly half the airlines we track created positive economic value, and the sector as a whole came close to earning its cost of capital. But the industry remains fragile—vulnerable to economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and potential imbalances between capacity and demand. Future profitability will depend on airlines’ ability to navigate external pressures while sharpening internal performance. Improving on-time reliability, ancillary revenue generation, and organizational health could be avenues for airlines to create stronger returns.

41 percent of airlines created positive value in 2024

Are low-cost airlines losing altitude?

In North America, discount carriers have experienced a postpandemic decline in profitability and growth. This slowdown can be attributed in part to rising labor costs, a spending gap between higher- and lower-income travelers, and a wave of more budget-friendly offerings from competing full-service airlines. Vigilant cost control, strong value propositions, and an understanding of the fluidity of customer segments could help low-cost airlines catch a second wind. Meanwhile, airlines of all types—all over the globe—can eye this trend and consider its implications for their own businesses.

-1.1 percent ROIC for North American low-cost airlines in 2024The eight myths of airline retailing

Overcoming some common misconceptions could help the airline sector boost its retailing efforts. A new survey of air traveler preferences helps identify what consumers really want. Beyond price, travelers strongly value easier booking processes and trustworthy brands. Personal recommendations from friends and family can wield more influence than social media. Many travelers spend significant time researching before booking. And while direct bookings are on the rise, intermediaries remain important. To capture more value, airlines can adopt multichannel strategies, enhance their merchandising, and provide travelers with personalized, practical support.

34 percent relative importance of price as a driver for air travelers' booking choices

How to modernize airline planning

Airline planning—which involves scheduling every aspect of flights and all the components that support them—has always been challenging, given the unpredictability of inputs such as passenger demand, crew availability, and weather. But airlines face an opportunity to improve their planning processes by updating their technology, methods, and mindsets. Better planning tools might more fully mesh commercial and operational considerations. Airlines could prioritize customer experience over scheduling constraints. Flights could be planned days, not months, in advance. The potential rewards stemming from truly integrated planning are considerable.

$100 cost to airline for each additional minute an aircraft is delayed

How severe is the aircraft shortage—and what happens next?

Rising passenger demand for air travel is meeting with a constrained supply of new aircraft. While passenger demand has rebounded from pandemic-era lows and is projected to keep growing, delivery times for newly manufactured aircraft—and maintenance turnaround times for planes in existing fleets—have slowed. The resulting divergence between demand and supply is creating a concerning mismatch. How big is this gap? Is it poised to grow or shrink? What actions can industry stakeholders take to help level the imbalance and achieve equilibrium.





DUHC&S | Strategic Hospitality Consulting & Advisory

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Operational excellence and brand standards (GSI +90%)
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