Unlocking Secrets of Booming Hotel Industry: Essential Research!

Feb 1, 2023

Discovering the Potential of the Booming Hotel Industry: Vital Perspectives for Hotel Industry Research!

Overview of the Tourism and Hotel Sector

~ Tourism has become very important in India. It brings in a lot of money from other countries and helps create jobs. The increase in tourists also means more business for hotels.
~ India is becoming a popular tourist destination and is ranked 6th in tourism and hospitality by the World Economic Forum. This is according to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
~ The tourism and hospitality industry in India is one of the top 10 industries that receives the most foreign investment. According to government data, the hotel and tourism sector received around $16.6 billion of foreign investment from April 2000 to September 2022.
~The Indian government is trying to make India a big tourism destination. They have a plan called "Project Mausam" to connect with other countries in the Indian Ocean and bring back old cultural and economic ties. Also, they have made it easier for tourists from 161 countries to visit India by offering electronic visas.
~A significant surge in India, thereby propelling the hospitality sector to thrive. This is primarily due to a marked increase in the volume of foreign and domestic travelers, leading to a corresponding increase in the demand for lodgings. Budget hotels have emerged as prevalent trend in India. Furthermore, international hotel companies have increasingly commenced considering the establishment of such hotels in India, given the latent source of growth that arises from the extant disparity between the burgeoning influx of tourists and the insufficient number of rooms to accommodate them.
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"Supply"
⁎ It has been predicted that the hospitality sector will be unable to keep pace with the sustained growth of the economy, projected to grow at an annual rate of 7%. In the coming five years, it is anticipated that around 40 multinational corporations within the hotel industry will establish a presence in India, yet the industry still remains unable to fulfill the long term demand.
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"Demand"
⁎ The burgeoning nature of tourism industry in India can be attributed to the burgeoning influx of both business and leisure travelers, along with the noticeable proliferation of medical tourism. During the apogee of the tourism season, from November to March, there is a discernible increase in demand. This can only be comprehended by those with an erudite background in the field.
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"Entrance Hindrances"
⁎ High Capital Intensity, Brand Recognition, Zoning and Regulatory Restrictions, Strong Competition, Economies of Scale, Customer Relationships

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"New cycle begun"
⁎ Travel within India is starting to recover and travel businesses have seen a big increase in earnings. Right now, the industry is almost back to its normal levels with occupancy at 63-65%. This new trend is just starting, India to host G20 Summit in Sept 2023, hold over 200 meetings. international travelers geopolitical events and global economy, which should support the hotel RevPAR growth. which will help hotels earn more money.
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⁎ The IMF predicts that India's economy will grow rapidly in the next few years. They expect India to have the highest growth rate, with a projected 7.4% in FY22-23 and 6.1% in FY23-24.

⁎ After removal of international travel restrictions, domestic travel remains the preferred choice for Indian nationals. Travel is not limited to pilgrimages only anymore and to places of one’s relatives as travellers are now more inclined to visit leisure and holiday destinations. Corporate travel has taken a new leap in the country, factoring in the growing economic activities. In fact, the pandemic has evolved a new work cum travel option in the form of workations, staycations and bleisure travel, which has further aided the domestic travel and hotel industry. Young people are starting to save money for travel and taking their trips more seriously.

⁎ Social media is also making people more aware of new places to visit. India has many places that could become great tourist destinations if developed. The demand for hotel rooms in India has increased dramatically, going up from 25,000 rooms per day to 90,000 rooms per day. This suggests that more and more people are traveling and choosing to stay in hotels, which is a positive trend for the tourism industry in the country.
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We will learn how to differentiate between a fundamentally strong hotel from a weaker one.
⁎ Examination of the Comprehensive Structure of India's Hotel Industry at a Macro Level. The Indian hotel sector is characterized by a highly fragmented landscape, with each city accommodating a mixture of both domestic and international chains and a considerable number of unbranded, predominantly family run establishments. The Ministry of Tourism classifies these establishments via the allocation of stars, such as standard, star, and heritage. In the branded segment, while the majority of the supply was once concentrated in high end properties, the shift towards a greater number of domestic travelers over the last decade has resulted in the proliferation of mid range branded hotels, which has accordingly expanded the room supply. This increase in supply has been derived from the conversion of non branded establishments and new construction projects. the Indian hotel industry operates in a crowded environment. This further constrains the pricing power of the industry.
⁎ The demand for hotels changes depending on the economy and the time of year. When the economy is doing well, people have more money to spend on vacations or business trips, which means more business for hotels. But when the economy is not doing well, people spend less money on these services, which can make it difficult for hotel companies to make money. This can be a big risk for the hotel business.
⁎ In the hotel industry, the demand for rooms can vary greatly throughout the year. Despite this, expenses such as power, lighting, and salaries are constant and can make up to 70% of a hotel's costs. Investors should be aware of this volatility and the fact that a hotel's quarter on quarter performance may fluctuate.
⁎ Starting a hotel requires a substantial amount of capital, including the cost of acquiring land and constructing the building. The process also involves obtaining local government approvals, negotiating contracts, and can take anywhere from four to six years. The long gestation period and two to three years it takes for a hotel to reach optimal operations makes the industry challenging.
⁎ There are ways to reduce the capital requirements, such as through a management contract model where the management of the hotel is separated from its ownership. This allows for the risk of operating a hotel to be shared among different entities, though the macro business risks of competition, funding cycles, and seasonality still remain. Despite these challenges, the hotel industry remains attractive.
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Some point to help us understand the comparison between different hotel companies.

First Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR). The Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) depicts the revenue generated from a single room, regardless of its occupancy status. It encompasses unsold or unoccupied rooms, thereby providing a precise representation. The four major hotel companies in the study,
INDHOTEL, CHALET, EIHOTEL & LEMONTREE, All strive to maximize their RevPAR, as it reflects not only the pricing of the rooms but also their occupancy rate. The company Charlotte has already surpassed its pre-COVID-19 RevPAR levels.

Let's look at example
The average sales price is approx. Rs. 4600 and unit costs are Rs. 1800 per room while occupancy rate is 80%. We can calculate RevPAR as follows: 200*(RevPAR/Unit Costs)+(1800/Unit Costs) = 1000+3400=3472
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Second the Occupancy Rate. The Occupancy Rate is the number of Occupied rooms divided by the number of available rooms. when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Occupancy Rate for both branded and unbranded hotels went way down in FY22. We will see some major hotel companies.
INDHOTEL "IHCL" includes (Taj Hotels, Vivanta Hotels, Ginger Hotels & Seleqtions Hotels)
EIHOTEL include (Oberoi Hotels, Trident  Hotels & Maidens Hotels)
CHALET include (The Westin, Novotel Hotel and Resort, Marriott Hotels & Four Points)
Lemon Tree Hotels Include (Aurika Hotels, keys Select & Redfox)
There has been a substantial improvement in occupancy rates, Some companies already. reached pre COVID-19 levels high.

Let's look at example
Hotel has total 100 rooms and the average room rate (ARR) is 2,500 INR per room. The hotel's total room revenue for a given day is 100 rooms * 2,500 INR = 2,50,000 INR.
Hotel has an occupancy rate of 80%, this means that 80 rooms are occupied and the hotel earns 80 rooms * 2,500 INR = 2,00,000 INR in revenue from occupied rooms (Revenue from occupied rooms / Total room revenue) * 100
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Third Average Room Rate (ARR). The ARR calculates the average rental revenue per occupied room dividing the total revenue by the number of rooms occupied. COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the ARR. Indian Hotels falls under the luxury and upscale category, Lemon Tree is a mid scale or economic brand, And Oberoi, Trident Hotels, are undergoing a process of reestablishment, with Indian Hotels having already reached its desired state.

Let's look at example
The Average Room Rate (ARR) is the average rate of a hotel room per night. Calculated by dividing the total revenue generated from the sale of rooms by the number of rooms sold.
If hotel generates revenue of ₹500,000 from the sale of 100 rooms in a month, the ARR would be ₹5,000 per room per night (500,000/100).
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Sector overview or Business overview
The hotel industry experiences marked fluctuations in profitability margins due to its cyclical nature. As a quadrant business, the evaluation of performance should be based on two key metrics: EBITDA margin and Return on Capital Employed (ROCE). The EBITDA margin, which represents the proportion of profits within a company's sales, holds significant significance across various industries. The four major hotel chains, including Lemon Tree, have experienced an improvement in margins through cost reduction measures. The objective for these companies is to attain a 33% EBITDA margin by 2025. The efficiency with which hotels allocate capital is equally important, as demonstrated by the ROCE metric. With the recent normalization, increase in consumer demand, and heightened operating margins, it is anticipated that the ROCE will settle within a range of 12-15%, after considering debt reduction. We have leveraged expectations. This is an important aspect because hotels are capital intensive. A company's balance sheet determines the level of stress its cash flows can sustain, especially during downturns. High leverage reduces a hotel company's financial flexibility, which also dilutes its efforts to raise funds for future projects.
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Key Ratios Analysis
1. Leverage Ratios
The Debt to Equity ratio is a financial metric that compares a company's total debt to its total equity. It is used to measure a company's financial leverage and its ability to pay off its debt obligations.
⁎ Debt/EBITDA ratio is a financial metric that measures a company's ability to pay off its debt obligations with its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA). This ratio is used to evaluate the financial health of a company, particularly its debt burden and ability to service its debt obligations.
2. Liquidity Ratios
The current ratio used to determine a company's ability to pay its short term obligations. It is calculated by dividing the company's current assets by its current liabilities
⁎ The Cash ratio is financial ratio that measures a company's ability to pay off its current liabilities using only its most liquid assets, such as cash and cash equivalents. This ratio provides an indication of a company's liquidity and short term financial health.

When evaluating a hotel investment, it's important to consider whether there is a well-established and financially strong promoter group backing the company. promoter can help the hotel deal with difficulties in a more timely manner and even negotiate better rates from suppliers. This can be the difference between survival and bankruptcy, as we saw in the past when as many as 40% of hotels and restaurants in India shut down permanently. Indian Hotels Limited and Lemon Tree Hotels, among other prominent hospitality companies in India, enjoy the advantage of having formidable backing from influential promoters and substantial institutional support, respectively. As of December 2022, the percentage of promoter stake in Lemon Tree Hotels that was pledged had declined from 29.39% (December 2021) to a current value of 11.9%.

Thank you for reading my analysis of the hotel industry.
I hope it provided valuable insights into the performance and trends of the sector. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.
Jai hind 🇮🇳