Market Trends

🏧 European budget and economy hotel segments saw RevPAR declines of -10.2% and -2.4%, respectively, while the midscale segment fell slightly at -0.5%. Upscale hotels bucked the trend with a +0.9% RevPAR increase. In Eastern Europe, Latvia and Hungary continued to lead with strong RevPAR increases of +10.3% and +7.3%, respectively, despite Hungary's average daily rate being down by -2.8%. Greece showed a significant recovery with an +11.9% RevPAR boost after a -1.1% dip the previous month, attributed to a +4.2 point rise in occupancy and a +4.1% increase in average daily rate following a decline due to earthquakes in February 2025.

🏡 UK-based luxury hotel group The Stafford Collection sold their country house hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant, Northcote, to Silkstone Finance. Alf and Clare Ellis of Silkstone Finance, also owners of kitchen manufacturer Ultima, aim to enhance Northcote by introducing a fine-dining restaurant under Michelin-starred chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen and adding a wellness space. The Stafford Collection, led by managing director John McLean, plans to refine The Stafford London, leveraging Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines as a culinary strategist. Further developments for The Stafford Collection will be announced later.

🏠 Excellence in hospitality and design is rare amidst widespread mediocrity. Big dreamers, like those who aspire to build a micro-resort or landscape a yard, often miss subtle details in their grand plans, resulting in a lackluster final product. The McPheeters family, owners of Nordlys in Wisconsin, exemplify the value of focusing on small, intricate details to create a standout property.

🏢 RateHawk celebrated nine years with a net booking value increase of 1.8 times and a 67% growth in bookings compared to 2023. Emerging Travel Group, its UAE-based parent company, reported a $3.7 billion gross transaction value in 2024, with RateHawk as a key contributor. Last year, RateHawk expanded its inventory to include over 120,000 directly contracted properties and over 2.6 million accommodation options. Transportation bookings doubled in 2024, and within three months of launching railway ticket services in Europe, over 25% of hotel booking travel professionals also used this service. The company doubled its API integration contracts in 2024, partnering with over 500 new entities, including Ctrip. RateHawk now supports 32 languages, opened a new Singapore headquarters, and saw a 50% increase in partners, reaching over 93,000 travel professionals. In the UK and Ireland, there was an 80% growth in net booking value year-over-year.

🏛 W Hotels and Opry Entertainment Group unveiled a multi-million-dollar renovation of W Austin, offering Penthouse I, Austin's largest suite at 1,798 sq ft. Four of the 32 premium suites feature two bedrooms and bathrooms and luxury amenities like marble bathrooms, Miele espresso machines, and personalized concierge service. Exclusive Texas artworks decorate the suites, with panoramic views inspired by the "Violet Crown" moniker. Located near Austin City Limits Live, W Austin connects guests to the city's culture.

✈ American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) partnered with Finnair to offer NDC-enabled deals to corporate clients, with no surcharges on Finnair’s best available fares. Amex GBT’s NDC program has over 20 airline partners and has processed one million NDC tickets since January 2024 across 16 countries. The partnership aims to provide value and maintain travel program integrity through NDC technology.

🛫 On Apr 25, 2025, American Airlines reported a Q1 loss of $473 million, withdrawing its full-year forecast amidst a slump in domestic weekend travel, influenced by January's plane crash over Washington, D.C. and economic uncertainty. Despite this, international travel revenue per available seat mile rose by 2.9%, showing resilience especially across the Atlantic and Pacific. CEO Robert Isom highlighted the airline's adaptability in the face of variable travel demand.

🏨 Accor, Europe’s largest hotel group, reported Q1 2025 revenue of €1.35 billion on Apr 25, surpassing the €1.31B analyst forecast. The revenue increased from the previous year's €1.24B. The Luxury & Lifestyle segment saw a 17.9% growth year-on-year. Accor opened 45 hotels and targets a 3–4% annual RevPAR growth. RevPAR rose to €69, a 5% increase. The US market's slowdown is less impactful with only 5% of bookings, while Canadian travel benefits local hotels.

🏠 French travelers favored destinations during the Easter weekend coincided with the spring break, boosting hotel performance. Booking.com's 2025 ranking saw Biarritz enter at 7th, with Montpellier dropping out of the top 10. Paris remained the most popular, Nice moved to second place, and Marseille fell to third. Hotel occupancy rates in Nice reached 82.2%, Paris at 82%, and Marseille at 76.2%. Compared to the previous year, occupancy rates increased: Nice +3.1 points, Marseille +5.6 points, and Paris +7 points. The average price increase was highest in Nice at +21.3%, followed by Marseille at +12.8%, and Paris at +5%.