ATLANTA – While many hoteliers are feeling angst and uncertainty caused by intimidating macroeconomic conditions, PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR) is assertively forecasting the continued recovery of the U.S. lodging industry. How well you do in 2012, however, will vary depending upon the price of your room and where you are located. According to the recently released December 2011 edition of Hotel Horizons(R), PKF-HR forecasts that rooms revenue (RevPAR) for U.S. hotels will rise 8.1 percent in 2011, and increase another 6.1 percent in 2012.

“Analyzing the performance of U.S. hotels in 2010 and 2011, we have seen the progression of indicators that one would expect during an industry recovery. Occupancy levels increased in 2010, followed by real average daily rate (ADR) growth in 2011,” said R. Mark Woodworth, president of PKF-HR. “The only surprise has been the pace and magnitude of the surge in hotel demand.”

Of greater importance is the future direction of lodging industry performance. “Looking forward, we are seeing familiar signs along the road to recovery. Owners and operators are now focused on more aggressive pricing policies, which in turn will translate into strong growth in hotel profits. We believe market conditions during the next few years will allow them to achieve these goals,” notes Woodworth.  (from Market Watch, WSJ…)