In this article, we will discuss: 10 Best Hotel Stocks To Buy Now.
According to Cognitive Market Research, the size of the global hotel market was $784.82 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $1,126.04 billion by 2030. From 2023 to 2030, the hotel industry’s compound annual growth rate is anticipated to be 5.29%. Regionally, North America holds a substantial 30.66% market share, mostly because of the region’s abundance of hotels and resorts.
Recently, in Q2 2024, demand for hotels rose 1.3% year over year, above a 0.6% increase in supply and leading to a 0.7% increase in occupancy in the US. Secondly, a 2.2% year-over-year rise in Q2 2024 revenue per available room (RevPAR) was driven by higher occupancy combined with a 1.5% increase in average daily rate (ADR) YoY. The benefits were mostly due to two factors: the early Easter this year, which came in late Q1 2024 and contributed to higher business travel in the second quarter of this year compared to the previous year, and the complete solar eclipse, which encouraged more leisure travel throughout a significant portion of the US. Although the demand for hotels increased in the second quarter of 2024, short-term rentals and cruise lines maintained their market share gains. Additionally, the average hotel hourly wage was still more than $10 less than the average hourly wage in the country.
As per Frederic Dominioni, the Chief Revenue Officer of Solonis and a leading provider of modern property management solutions, there are five important trends driving the recovery in the hotel industry post-pandemic. Firstly, guests’ expectations are rising because of rising room rates, which increased by 54% from January 2022 to 2023. Secondly, the rise in “workcation” travels brought about by hybrid work has raised the need for flexible locations and services. Third, there is still a high desire for self-service choices and mobile technology, which helps to ease the staff shortage. Fourth, with 88% of travelers looking for local adventures, travel experiences have taken center stage. Lastly, given that 65% of travelers give priority to eco-friendly lodging, sustainability is essential. Hotels will prosper if they adjust to these developments through improving amenities and customizing visitor experiences.
Looking ahead, CBRE’s 2024 Global Hotels Outlook reveals that 2024 will be another year of progress for the US economy after 2023 saw RevPAR reach a record high. The continuous improvement in inbound foreign travel, the meetings and group events segment’s solid performance, and rising interest from leisure visitors are all expected to contribute to RevPAR growth, which is predicted to reach almost 3% year over year. Urban areas that are more appealing to leisure travelers and have more expensive hotels should do well, but competition from other sources, such as cruise lines, short-term rentals, and camping, is projected to restrict demand as well as pricing for traditional hotels. Hotel salary growth slowed to 4.6% in Q2 2024 from 5.5% in Q1, but it was still higher than the 4.0% hourly wage rise for all employees due to a decrease in job opportunities in the hotel industry. In Q2 2024, occupancy rates for all types of locations stayed below 2019 levels. Interstate and town sites were the most similar to their 2019 levels, at 99%, while urban and resort destinations were 94% and 96%, respectively.
On the other hand, Warren Marr, US Hospitality & Leisure Industry Advisor stated:
“Continued economic uncertainty, an upcoming election, and continued geopolitical tensions are expected to impact hotel performance in the US through 2025. Since our last issue of Hospitality Directions US in November, we’ve seen two additional quarters of decline in hotel occupancies, for a total of four, but expect to see a gradual rebound the balance of this year and into next, off of easier comps. That said, we expect average daily rate growth to trail PCE inflation through the rest of this year and 2025.”
With that said, here are the 10 Best Hotel Stocks To Buy Now.
Aerial view of a luxury hotel, representing the company’s premium quality offerings.
Methodology:
We sifted through holdings of hotel ETFs and online rankings to form an initial list of 20 hotel stocks. Then we selected the 10 stocks that were the most popular among institutional investors. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q2 2024. We have used the stock’s Revenue Growth Rate (year-over-year) as a tie-breaker in case two or more stocks have the same number of hedge funds invested. We have omitted some stocks that were down over the previous year.
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10. Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20
Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH), one of the world’s leading lodging franchisors, catered to the economy and midscale segments with 15 brands and 633,000 rooms as of December 31, 2023. The company’s two biggest brands, Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites, account for 27% of all domestic rooms. Ascend and Cambria, on the other hand, represent 7% of all domestic rooms and are newer lifestyle and select-service brands.
In August 2022, Choice completed the acquisition of Radisson, adding almost 70,000 new rooms. Franchises generate 100% of total revenue, while the United States accounts for 79% of all rooms in 2023.
The company’s 2020 demand was significantly impacted by the coronavirus, but in 2021, the company’s US leisure-based portfolio—which accounts for around 70% of nights—saw a complete return to 2019 revenue per available room level.
Morningstar analysts expect the company to gradually expand room share in the hotel industry over the next ten years, with its keys boosting 2% on average every year, above the 1%-2% supply lift they estimate for the US industry during that time, even though near-term demand is under pressure due to declining consumer savings. A revived Comfort brand (27% of all domestic rooms in 2023) is one factor supporting this growth, along with the addition of the newer Cambria, Ascend, and Everhome concepts (7% combined), its extended-stay brand WoodSpring (6%), the 2022 acquisition of the Radisson brand, and a strong loyalty program with 66 million members as of June 30, 2024 (up from 44 million in 2019).
Strong Q2 2024 financial results were released by the firm, showing a 6% YoY increase in adjusted EBITDA and a 5% YoY increase in adjusted EPS to a record $161.7 million. While global hotel openings rose by 20% YoY, the company’s global pipeline grew by 22% YoY to 115,000 rooms. Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE:CHH) is well-positioned for upcoming potential markets and, although decreasing its RevPAR projection, anticipates 9% adjusted EBITDA growth for 2024, driven by franchise fees and unit expansion.
Terry Smith’s Fundsmith LLP is the largest shareholder in the company, with 733,892 shares worth $87.33 million.
9. DiamondRock Hospitality Company (NYSE:DRH)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21
A real estate investment trust, DiamondRock Hospitality Company (NYSE:DRH) is the owner of hotel establishments. Its operations involve the purchase, ownership, management, and renovation of full-service hotel properties around the US. Cities like Chicago, Boston, New York, Denver, and others are among those where it operates. The bulk of the hotel brands that are part of the company’s holdings include Hilton, Starwood, and Marriott. The revenue is distributed between segments (room, food and beverage, and others). The majority of the revenue is generated by the room segment. The company serves group clients as well as transient leisure and business clients.
Its strategic focus on shareholder value through an optimized portfolio of drive-to and leisure locations as well as specific metropolitan areas is going to be presented to investors. The firm is predicting a strong financial future because it has strengthened its leadership team to spur growth and take advantage of the leisure travel industry’s resiliency.
Revenue for the second quarter of 2024 was $309.3 million, up by 6.19% YoY and significantly higher than the $301.77 million consensus. Revenue from food and lodging was increased by strong group demand, especially in urban sites. DiamondRock Hospitality Company (NYSE:DRH) revised its Bourbon Orleans restoration plan to put more of an emphasis on strategic expenditures and increased its full-year earnings estimate.
Reiterating its full-year 2024 outlook shows confidence in ongoing revenue growth, notably from the leisure and group travel segments, because of its strong balance sheet and liquidity.
Strong management tactics and a focus on EPS growth were cited by the analyst, Michael Bellisario, who kept his Buy rating on Diamondrock with a $10 price target. An optimistic view is supported by the company’s commitment to disciplined capital allocation, share buybacks, asset sales, and robust group bookings. Confidence in the stock’s worth is also reinforced by upward revisions to earnings and moderate leverage.
Richard S. Pzena’s Pzena Investment Management is the largest shareholder in the company, with 8,835,117 shares worth $74.66 million.
8. Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 24
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) operates owned (4% of total rooms) and managed and franchised (96%) properties under approximately 20 upscale luxury brands, including vacation brands (Apple Leisure Group, Hyatt Ziva, and Hyatt Zilara), the recently launched full-service lifestyle brand Hyatt Centric, the soft lifestyle brand Unbound, the wellness brand Miraval, and the midscale extended-stay brand Studios. In 2018 and 2021, respectively, Hyatt purchased Two Roads Hospitality and Apple Leisure Group. The Americas account for 54% of total rooms, followed by the rest of the globe (22%), and Asia-Pacific (23%).
While a slowing economy may have an impact on near-term industry demand, analysts believe Hyatt’s brand intangible asset, which is the major driver of its narrow moat, will grow over time. According to STR data, the company’s managed and franchised unit growth has averaged more than 10% annually over the past ten years (2014-23), much above the long-term supply rise of 2% for the US industry. This growth reveals its rising brand advantage.
Over the next ten years, Morningstar analysts anticipate the firm to increase its room and revenue share in the hotel industry, spurred along by more recent brands like House, Place, Apple Leisure Group, and Studios, which will bolster its intangible brand advantage.
Over the next ten years, Morningstar analysts project the company’s room growth to average between 4% and 5% yearly, which is higher than the 1% to 2% supply increase they predict for the US market during this time. Their assessment of Hyatt’s long-term competitive advantages is positive, and they believe that the company’s global exposure to luxury, upper upscale, and upscale travel will enable it to surpass industry demand in 2024 as resilient leisure travel is enhanced by better international and group travel.
Baron Focused Growth Fund stated the following regarding Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:
“Global hotelier Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) declined 4.7% in the quarter and hurt performance by 29 bps. The disappointing share price performance was due to a deceleration in growth in revenue per available room as a result of modestly slower leisure bookings. However, the company continues to increase its business transient and group bookings, which are now pacing 7% ahead of 2023 levels. These bookings are half of its business today. Robust mid-single-digit growth in units and modest margin expansion should lead to double-digit growth in EBITDA this year. In addition, Hyatt continues to sell assets in its bid to become a more asset-light business. It also has one of the strongest balance sheets in its industry today. All of the above should generate significant free cash flow that Hyatt can use to accelerate share buybacks. Hyatt has repurchased more than 80 million shares since its IPO in 2009! It now has just 100 million shares outstanding. Yet, despite 85% of Hyatt’s cash flow generated by fees, its stock still trades at a discount to peers.”
Robert Joseph Caruso’s Select Equity Group is the largest shareholder in the company, with 1,006,653 shares worth $152.93 million.
7. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:WH)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26
Revenue Growth Rate (year-over-year): 2.22%
By the end of 2023, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:WH) operated 872,000 rooms across more than 20 brands, with the majority of them in the economy and midscale segments. The largest brand is Super 8, which accounts for around 19% of all rooms, followed by Days Inn (13%), and Ramada (14%).
The company has been growing its extended stay and lifestyle brands over the last few years, appealing to tourists who want to immerse themselves in the local way of life in a particular place. In the second quarter of 2018, the company completed the acquisition of La Quinta, adding almost 90,000 rooms at the time of closing. In the spring of 2022, it introduced ECHO, a new extended-stay economy scale segment idea. Moreover, the US accounts for 57% of the total number of rooms.
Notwithstanding short-term macroeconomic concerns for consumers, such as continued high inflation and depleted consumer savings, analysts anticipate Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to progressively expand its hotel room share while maintaining a brand intangible asset and switching cost advantage.
Additionally, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:WH) has the fourth-largest loyalty program in the industry by membership (110 million as of June 30, 2024), which incentivizes independent hotel owners to sign up for the platform. Furthermore, Wyndham owns about 10% and 5% of the current hotel rooms in the US and around the world, respectively, and its pipeline accounts for about 28% of its current unit base.
The company was given a Buy rating by Robert W. Baird analyst Michael Bellisario, who maintained a price target of $88, noting strong operational performance and strong financial performance in Q2 2024 despite a lowered full-year RevPAR forecast. Wyndham has shown its commitment to shareholder returns and growth potential through its aggressive stock buyback program and solid net unit expansion. The favorable outlook is supported by the stock’s value, which is somewhat discounted as compared to the market.
Jeffrey Gates’s Gates Capital Management is the largest shareholder in the company, with 1,470,558 shares worth $108.82 million.
6. Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26
Revenue Growth Rate (year-over-year): 8.29%
One of the biggest lodging real estate investment trusts in the US, Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST), has reached a previously unheard-of mature growth stage in its development cycle. Among all REITs, hotels have one of the greatest betas, and they fluctuate in value in response to any signs that the US economy is expanding or contracting. Travel is one of the first expenses reduced when economic confidence declines, but people need to travel for business purposes while the economy is growing and prefer to travel when their jobs and income are stable.
Since hotel leases are for a single night only, daily occupancy and pricing resets promptly take the state of the economy into account. In previous recessions, revenue per available room fell for two to three years, and then there was a five- to six-year period of high single- to low double-digit revPAR increase. The economy usually experiences a new recession as growth slows, and the cycle repeats.
Almost 42,000 rooms across 77 mostly urban and resort upper-upscale and luxury hotel properties are owned by the company, most of which are located in the United States. Recently, the company’s shares in a joint venture with a portfolio of hotels across Europe and joint partnerships with properties in Asia and the US were sold off by the company. The Marriott and Starwood brands are used by the majority of Host’s portfolio businesses.
Despite the recent deterioration in the Hawaiian market, Chris Woronka, an analyst with Deutsche Bank, maintained a Buy rating on Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:HST) with a price target of $22. He cited confidence in the company’s revised forecast and market adjustments. Woronka sees the company’s share repurchases and acquisitions as signs of increasing long-term value. The revised price objective preserves the stock’s positive outlook while reflecting forecasts that were recalculated in the wake of Q2 2024 earnings.
Noam Gottesman’s GLG Partners is the largest shareholder in the company, with 7,333,587 shares worth $131.86 million.
5. Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE:PK)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 27
Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE:PK), which specializes in upper-upscale hotels, is the second-largest lodging company in the United States. It is the owner of 39 upper-class and luxury hotels in the US, comprising 23,428 rooms. At the beginning of 2017, the company was split off from Hilton Worldwide Holdings. The company has sold all of its hotels abroad and 23 of its lower-quality hotels in the United States since the spinoff to concentrate on high-quality properties in domestic gateway markets.
To expand the range of hotel brands that the company offers, including Marriott, Hyatt, and IHG properties, the company completed the acquisition of Chesapeake Lodging Trust in September 2019. This complementary portfolio consists of 18 higher-quality, upper-upscale hotels.
Accelerating economic growth has the potential to extend a strong hotel cycle and enhance Park’s performance and portfolio, as per Morningstar analysts. However, the performance and valuation of Park will be under pressure due to a growing interest rate environment and significant new supply in several of its major markets.
Morgan Stanley maintained its Equal Weight rating on Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (NYSE:PK) shares and raised the firm’s price objective from $16 to $17. The analyst informs investors that while lodging REITs usually beat expectations in Q2 2024, trends in June and July were “softer than anticipated,” hence all the businesses decreased their RevPAR estimate. The company continues to anticipate acceleration in the second half of the year, which it believes may prove to be optimistic.
Cliff Asness’s AQR Capital Management is the largest shareholder in the company, with 5,252,853 shares worth $77.21 million.
