Hotel Operators Adapt and Survive in 2020 (2024)

By Robert Mandelbaum

Faced with the greatest declines in revenue since the 1930s, U.S. hotel operators in 2020 have demonstrated their historical ability to adapt to difficult market environments and squeeze the greatest efficiencies from their operations. Through the first six months of 2020, U.S. hotels are on track to achieve profit margins better than those observed at past comparable levels of depressed occupancy.

CBRE collected June 2020 operating statements from a sample of approximately 450 diverse hotels across the country. For the sample, the year-to-date gross operating profit (GOP) margin was 18.2 percent. This was achieved at an occupancy level of 36.6 percent. Based on CBRE’s August 2020 forecast for the entirety of 2020, U.S. hotel occupancy is projected to be 39.8 percent. Using information from CBRE’s Trends® in the Hotel Industry database, at 39.8 percent, hotels have historically averaged a GOP margin of 11.6 percent.

Of course, the greater levels of operating efficiency do not provide enough joy to overcome the pain of an average 79.1 percent year-over-year decline in GOP. Further, for the owner, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) is down 103 percent, implying a negative cash flow before debt service.

What the greater than expected GOP margin does reveal is the extent to which hotel managers have adjusted their operations and demonstrated the ability to control the variable costs for which they have the greatest influence.

From the first half of 2019 to the first half of 2020, operating expenses through GOP have declined by 41.2 percent on a per-available-room (PAR) basis. The 49.7 percent decline in occupancy for the sample did contribute to this decline. However, measured on a per-occupied-room (POR) basis, operating expenses rose 16.8 percent.

When analyzing the cost data for the operated departments versus the undistributed departments, the impact of fixed expenses becomes evident. Within the operated departments, expenses PAR declined by 47.5 percent, but increased just 4.3 percent POR. It was a different story in the undistributed departments where expenses declined by 32.6 percent PAR, but rose a strong 33.8 percent POR. This typifies the fixed nature of most costs within the undistributed departments.

CBRE projects lodging performance to improve during the second half of 2020. As occupancy levels increase, managers will be challenged to continue to suppress operating expenses. However, as we have observed during the first six months of 2020, as well as during the past two recessions, cost control measures have tended to linger after periods of depressed performance. Lessons have been learned during difficult times.


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To learn more about CBRE’s analysis of monthly operating statements, please contact Robert Mandelbaum at [emailprotected].


Hotel Operators Adapt and Survive in 2020 (2024)

FAQs

What is a good gross operating profit for a hotel? ›

As a general rule, a healthy profit margin lies at around 10%, whereas 5% is a low margin and 20% is a high margin. Hotels can compensate for a low profit margin by trying to get a higher revenue per booking through ancillary revenue and upselling.

What is RevPAR in hotel? ›

RevPAR represents the revenue generated per available room, whether or not they are occupied. RevPAR helps hotels measure their revenue generating performance to accurately price rooms. Since it's such a widely used metric, RevPAR can help hotels measure themselves against other properties or brands.

How is profit and loss calculated in hotels? ›

To understand your P&L as well as possible, what it boils down to, simply, is this: total sales minus total costs equals hotel profits.

Are hotels profitable UK? ›

Profitability of hospitality businesses across the UK is plummeting with only 37% currently turning a profit, with the biggest factors being the rising costs of energy (74%), goods (55%) and labour (54%).

What are the 3 main revenue sources of hotel? ›

Typically, revenue in the hospitality industry is generated through hotel room rentals, meeting space occupancy, and the sale of food or beverages. All of these produce profitable revenue for a hotel or other hospitality industry business such as a food and beverage operation, a theme park, or a cruise line.

What are the top three costs facing hospitality operators? ›

There are many expenses beyond the obvious ones that need to be accounted for including setting revenue goals, calculating how many employees they can afford to hire, and keeping the business in the black. Our hospitality business costs breakdown includes three categories: labor, F&B, and utilities.

What is ADR in a hotel? ›

Average daily rate (ADR), one of the three key hotel performance indicators (along with occupancy and RevPAR), is the measure of the average paid for rooms sold in a given time period. The metric covers only revenue-generating guestrooms.

What is ADR Report at hotel? ›

The average daily rate (ADR) is a performance indicator used in the hospitality sector to measure the strength of revenues generated. It is measured as the total revenues generated by all the occupied rooms in a hotel or lodge divided by the total number of occupied rooms over a given time period.

How is ADR calculated? ›

ADR (Average Daily Rate)

ADR is used to calculate the average rental revenue per occupied room at a given time. To find ADR, divide your total room revenue by the number of rooms sold. For example, if you sold 5 rooms out of your 10-room hotel and your total revenue was $2,000, then ADR would be $400.

What is 10x10 rule in hotel? ›

They refer to their customers as guests. Cast members are trained to acknowledge each guest with a smile anytime they come within 10 feet of that person.

How do you measure the success of a hotel? ›

Metrics such as the revenue per available room (RevPAR), the average daily rate (ADR) or the average occupancy rate (OCC) can be used to measure sales performance. The market penetration index (MPI) and the revenue generated index (RGI) can help evaluate how a hotel is performing on the market.

How do hotels grow revenue? ›

11 Simple Ways to Successfully Increase Hotel Revenue
  1. Offer Early Check-In and Late Checkout.
  2. Promote your food and beverage options throughout the stay.
  3. Offer room upgrades pre-arrival.
  4. Partner with local businesses to offer excursions and experiences.
  5. Take advantage of other upsell opportunities.
14 Sept 2021

Is owning a hotel a good idea? ›

Owning a hotel can be profitable if you have the right combination of location, price point, quality of the physical asset, marketing strategy, dedicated employees, and supportive investors and management partners. However, a hotel isn't profitable by default, so you can expect a lot of hard work to generate profit.

Is owning a hotel a good investment? ›

Owning a hotel gives you the advantage of possibly reducing your tax burden. The top three reasons for this are depreciation, equity growth, and tax-deferred exchange in business real estate. Depreciation in hotels reduces taxable income.

How profitable is hospitality industry? ›

The hospitality sector is one of the most profitable, accounting for more than 8% of the country's workforce and an estimated 15 million jobs being created in the last few years. It is one of the top sectors attracting FDI or Foreign Direct Investment in the country.

What are the 3 things we can do to improve the hotel? ›

7 Tips to Improve Service Quality at Your Hotel
  1. Treat every guest like a VIP. ...
  2. Make training an everyday priority and not just a one-time event. ...
  3. Provide personalized customer service. ...
  4. Create a positive start for new employees. ...
  5. Update your technology toolbox. ...
  6. Take measure of your customer service performance.
1 Jan 2017

How do hotels attract customers? ›

10 Effective Ways To Attract Hotel Customers
  1. Impress Visitors before their arrival.
  2. Train your staff to deliver world-class service.
  3. Maintain Excellent Room Services.
  4. Offer better rates with recreational facilities.
  5. Establish an online presence.
  6. Take advantage of peak booking seasons.
19 Oct 2022

What are at least three 3 major trends in today's hotel industry? ›

Current and emerging hotel trends to be aware of
  • Smart hotel technology. Incorporating the Internet of Things (IoT) into a property is something that excites guests. ...
  • Sustainable hotels. ...
  • Robot staff. ...
  • Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. ...
  • Unique brand experiences.

What is the greatest challenge that the hotel industry is facing right now? ›

Low Occupancy. Very low occupancy rates are a major concern for the industry as re-opening starts over the summer. Most operators require a minimum occupancy of 40% to simply break-even. At the height of the lock-down, occupancy rates were between 0% and 20% across the industry.

How do hotels reduce operating costs? ›

Wednesday Wisdom: 7 Simple Ways to Reduce Hotel Operating Costs While Sustaining Customer Service
  1. Optimize labor scheduling and staff training. ...
  2. Attend to utilities. ...
  3. Stay on top of maintenance. ...
  4. Improve the employee onboarding experience. ...
  5. Take advantage of technology to automate processes. ...
  6. Streamline F&B to reduce waste.

What are the 4 types of ADR? ›

Arbitration, Conciliation, Mediation, Judicial Settlement, and Lok Adalat are the most commonly used ADR processes in civil proceedings.
...
Methods of Alternative Dispute Resolutions
  • Arbitration;
  • Conciliation;
  • Mediation;
  • Judicial Settlement;
  • Lok Adalat.
25 Oct 2021

What are the 6 types of ADR? ›

The most common forms of ADR for civil cases are mediation, arbitration, neutral evaluation, settlement conferences and community dispute resolution programs.
  • Mediation. ...
  • Arbitration. ...
  • Neutral Evaluation. ...
  • Settlement Conferences. ...
  • Community Dispute Resolution Program.
17 Mar 2020

What are the three key ADR processes? ›

Common ADR processes include mediation, arbitration, and neutral evaluation. These processes are generally confidential, less formal, and less stressful than traditional court proceedings. ADR often saves money and speeds settlement. In mediation, parties play an important role in resolving their own disputes.

Why ADR is important to a hotel? ›

The Average Daily Rate, also known as ADR is a term popular among hoteliers. It acts as an indicator of the hotel's overall performance and profits. ADR helps hotel owners determine the average rate of the rooms sold over a specific period of time.

How do you maintain ADR hotel? ›

Let us explore them in detail.
  1. Keep watch on competitors. ...
  2. Set optimum pricing. ...
  3. Promote local tourism and events. ...
  4. Offer packages and promotions. ...
  5. Prioritize your distribution channel. ...
  6. Attract more direct bookings. ...
  7. Personalize services with guest self-service portal. ...
  8. Provide complimentary services to guests.
11 Nov 2020

What affects ADR hotel? ›

Of all the KPIs used to measure a hotel's success, three of the most popular are occupancy rate, RevPAR, and ADR.
...
Common reasons for hotel ADR fluctuations:
  • Special events and blackout dates.
  • High corporate travel.
  • Group rates.
  • High demand and shoulder seasons.
  • Climate and other weather-related complications.
16 Aug 2021

What is a good ADR ratio? ›

The most common ratio is 1:1 where each ADR represents one common share of the company. If an ADR is listed on an exchange, you can buy and sell it through your broker like any other share.

What are the two methods of ADR? ›

While the two most known forms of ADR are arbitration and mediation, negotiation is almost always attempted first to resolve a dispute. Negotiation allows the parties to meet in order to settle a dispute.

What are ADR rules? ›

The term alternative dispute resolution (ADR) means any procedure, agreed to by the parties of a dispute, in which they use the services of a neutral party to assist them in reaching agreement and avoiding litigation.

What is the 15 5 rule hotel? ›

15/5 rule: When a guest is within 15 feet their presence should be acknowledged through some means whether a smile or head nod. Similarly, when a guest is within 5 feet they should be greeted in an appropriate manner whether that be a “hello”, “good morning”, or “good evening.”

What is the 5 ft rule? ›

The 10 and 5 rule is a simple guideline that is widely used in the hospitality industry. The rule dictates that when a staff member is 10 feet from a guest, the staff smiles and makes direct eye contact, and when they are within five feet, the staff verbally greets the guest.

What is the five feet rule? ›

When a staff member is approximately five feet from a guest, a sincere greeting or friendly gesture of acknowledgement should accompany the eye contact and smile. Successful companies in and out of the hospitality industry have adopted their own versions of the 10 and 5 Staff Rule.

How can hotel operational efficiency be improved? ›

5 Ways to Improve Hotel Operational Efficiency
  1. Encourage Guest Reviews. “Reviews from guests are vital parts to your business success,” says business writer John Donnell of UK Writings and State of writing. ...
  2. Implement Automation Software. ...
  3. Ask for Staff Feedback. ...
  4. Improve Recycling and Reuse. ...
  5. Monitor Heating and Cooling.
9 Sept 2022

What are the things for improvement in the hotel? ›

Here are ten of the best hotel improvement ideas for operations at your hotel.
  • 1) Invest in your team. ...
  • 2) Empower your employees. ...
  • 3) Leverage software. ...
  • 4) Communicate! ...
  • 5) Ask your team for feedback. ...
  • 6) Read comment cards and online reviews. ...
  • 7) Cross train your team. ...
  • 8) Recognize the importance of preventative maintenance.

How can hotel industry improve efficiency? ›

In this article, we look at some of these core areas to focus on for successful multi-site hospitality leadership.
  1. Improving guest satisfaction. ...
  2. Make use of business analytics. ...
  3. Digitise daily operations. ...
  4. Team development, learning and coaching. ...
  5. Reduce labour costs and improve productivity.
9 Feb 2022

What is the growth aspect of the hotel industry? ›

According to the Hospitality Global Market Report 2022 the global hospitality market is expected to grow from $3,952.87 billion in 2021 to $4,548.42 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.1%.

What factors have an impact on hotel profitability? ›

Nathan Bybee, CPA
  • Factor #1 - Poor Understanding of Market Cycles. Similar to other industries, the hotel industry can be affected by unforeseen changes in the market. ...
  • Factor #2 - Hiring the Wrong People. The hotel industry is a service sector. ...
  • Factor #3 - Failing to Analyze the Competition.
29 Sept 2021

What are the benefits of living in a hotel? ›

Pros to living in a hotel
  • Flexible—no lease unlike most apartments.
  • Fully furnished space.
  • Convenient locations in cities around the world.
  • Utilities are included.
  • WiFi and cable TV are most likely included, too.
  • Housekeeping.
  • Fresh towels, clean bedsheets.
15 Oct 2019

Why invest in hotels right now? ›

Hotels are an excellent source of income for investors. Due to their adaptability, investors have ample opportunities to grow their revenue in facets such as renovation and operations. In this revenue structure, there's always an opportunity for negotiations in one facet without losing revenue from another.

How much money does a hotel owner make a year? ›

According to Shmoop.com, the owner of a chain hotel can expect an average hotel owner's salary of $50,000, with a range of $40,000 to $60,000 a year. Don't forget, the owner is paying a 4% to 6% franchise fee. He is also repaying, with interest, the financing on the property's acquisition cost.

Where do hotels make most of their money? ›

Revenue in hotels is generated from room rentals, food and beverage sales and meeting room rentals.

Is owning a hotel stressful? ›

A hospitality career on property is stressful enough! Between trying to keep guests, employees, and owners happy, it's easy to feel stressed out from time to time.

How much money do you need to run a hotel? ›

The average cost of starting a hotel in the US ranges from $750,000-$1,000,000 for a small motel, to the national average being around $22,000,000 for a hotel with around 115 rooms, and much higher for luxury and high-rise hotels (source.)

What is the key to success in hospitality industry? ›

Thinking quickly, making decisive decisions and responding sensitively to customers' and employees' questions and concerns are a hospitality professional's most important job duty. An empathetic heart and genuine effort to fix things goes a long way when problems occur.

How do you build a successful hospitality business? ›

8 Tips for starting your hospitality business with limited capital
  1. Find a fresh and innovative concept. ...
  2. Offer competitive pricing. ...
  3. Don't stress about the competition. ...
  4. Take advantage of vendor, supplier and venue discounts. ...
  5. Shop around for the lowest interest rates. ...
  6. Choose your location wisely. ...
  7. Build an excellent team.

What is the economic impact of hotel industry? ›

The study found evidence that hotel industries impacted the state economy through job creation, boosting of finance and insurance industries as well as generating more labor income than accommodation industry. ...

What is a good profit margin for hospitality? ›

While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to that question, Restaurant Resource Group claims that, on average, restaurant profit margins are between 2% and 6%, with full-service restaurants at the lower end of the spectrum and limited-service (or quick service) restaurants at the higher end.

How do you know if a hotel is profitable? ›

Subtract the total expenditures per month from the average income from the bookings. This shows your profit margin for a month. If the number is negative, the company is losing money. If the number is positive, then the higher the number, the more money the hotel is making.

How much profit does a hotel make per month? ›

In November 2020, the monthly average revenue per available room (RevPAR) was 36.67 U.S. dollars for hotels in the United States. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the hotel industry, U.S. hotels reported a 52.6 percent decline in RevPAR compared to the previous year's figure.

What is the 5 10 rule in hospitality? ›

The 10 and 5 rule is a simple guideline that is widely used in the hospitality industry. The rule dictates that when a staff member is 10 feet from a guest, the staff smiles and makes direct eye contact, and when they are within five feet, the staff verbally greets the guest.

What is the 15 5 rule in hospitality? ›

15/5 rule: When a guest is within 15 feet their presence should be acknowledged through some means whether a smile or head nod. Similarly, when a guest is within 5 feet they should be greeted in an appropriate manner whether that be a “hello”, “good morning”, or “good evening.”

Who makes the most money in hospitality? ›

7 highest-paying hospitality jobs
  • Restaurant manager.
  • Event manager.
  • Hotel general manager.
  • Sommelier.
  • Food service director.
  • Travel manager.
  • Executive chef.

How can a hotel be successful? ›

Success in the Hotel Industry: 8 Things That Keep You on Top
  1. The hotel industry thrives on location. ...
  2. Keep an eye on those reviews. ...
  3. Generate great leads. ...
  4. Give customers an innovative experience. ...
  5. Keep your guests safe. ...
  6. Communicate, communicate, communicate. ...
  7. Give managers flexibility. ...
  8. Be observant.

What makes a hotel valuable? ›

They have tangible and intangible assets, such as reputation, service quality, location desirability, and overall charm. But, unfortunately, there's no formula to calculate their value. Still, there are other hotel revenue management formulas you can use for hotel appraisals.

Are hotels a good business? ›

Owning a hotel can be profitable if you have the right combination of location, price point, quality of the physical asset, marketing strategy, dedicated employees, and supportive investors and management partners. However, a hotel isn't profitable by default, so you can expect a lot of hard work to generate profit.

What is a good flow through percentage for hotel? ›

Flow-through typically ranges from 35-60%. Rooms can range from 60-75% and food and beverage from 35-50%, so this example of 80% is definitely on the high end, but it's useful to demonstrate the concept.

How can F&B revenue be increased in hotels? ›

F&B revenue is dependent on price management, service capacity, table turnover and menu. In order to increase hotel revenue and profitability, you must sell the right seat to the right customer for the right duration.

What is operating income formula? ›

The formula for operating income using the top-down approach is: Operating Income = Gross Profit - Operating Expenses - Depreciation - Amortization. Gross profit is the net profit earned after the cost of goods sold is subtracted from net revenue.

How much does it cost to open a hotel? ›

What is the Average Cost of Opening a Hotel? The average cost of starting a hotel in the US ranges from $750,000-$1,000,000 for a small motel, to the national average being around $22,000,000 for a hotel with around 115 rooms, and much higher for luxury and high-rise hotels (source.)

Is owning a hotel a lot of work? ›

It's a lot of work

That means you need to be willing and able to put in real effort at any time of any day to make your property a success. Look at the hotel you're buying as a second home, but with thousands of strangers (your customers) as short-term roommates.

What business makes the most money? ›

Most Profitable Companies Ranked
CompanyProfit per Hour
1Apple$6,553,767
2Microsoft$5,054,909
3Berkshire Hathaway$4,853,995
4Alphabet$4,596,918
6 more rows

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