The Outlook For U.S. Hotel Profits In 2018 - By Robert Mandelbaum and Bram Gallagher Ph.D.

Since 2014, U.S. lodging industry owners and operators have seen a steady decline in the pace of revenue growth. In 2014, rooms revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased by a healthy 8.2 percent according to STR. Per the December 2017 edition of CBRE’s Hotel Horizons®, RevPAR is forecast to increase by just 2.5 percent in 2018. Facing lackluster revenue growth, hotelier’s sights are now focused further on down the operating statement to determine what the impact of slow top-line gains will be on bottom-line profits.