An Analysis of Hotel Real Estate Market Dynamics

Abstract

This article is the winner of the Real Estate Investment/Portfolio Management manuscript prize (sponsored by The RREEF Funds) presented at the 1999 American Real Estate Society Annual Meeting. After providing a conceptual analysis of national hotel cycles, metro level hotel market dynamics are examined using various measures of supply and demand volatility, and historical revenue per available room (REVPAR) performance. Cluster analysis is used to provide a more rigorous classification of hotel markets in relatively homogeneous groups. A clustering algorithm is applied to REVPAR growth across fifty-eight metro areas. Using discriminant analysis, each cluster is then linked to various economic characteristics. Five hotel market clusters are identified with differences in various employment location quotients, employment SIC categories and employment growth largely determining the cluster groupings. This analysis can be used to improve hotel portfolio diversification strategies for both real estate investment trusts and direct-side equity investors.