Opal Hospitality expands to U.S., acquires Four Points by Sheraton Charlotte‑Lake Norman, N.C.
Opal Hospitality has expanded into the U.S. market with acquisition of Four Points by Sheraton Charlotte-Lake Norman, Huntersville, N.C.
According to a report by SiteMinder, Hotel Booking Trends, reveals that international travellers accounted for the majority (51 per cent) of the country’s hotel arrivals in 2023—a 27 per cent increase from the previous year.
In spite of increased prices—the average daily rate jumped seven per cent—the rise in international arrivals saw travellers book their stays sooner, with the average booking lead time growing 11 per cent to 42 days—six days longer than in 2019. Additionally, hotel arrivals during the first quarter normalized from 14 per cent to 17 per cent of the total in 2023, providing hotels more evenly distributed customer volumes throughout the year. This is despite ongoing strong seasonality, with Canadian accommodation providers accepting almost 27 per cent of their guests in July and August, alone.
“SiteMinder’s data shows that while travelers [SIC] have regained their confidence and international travel is returning, as is traditional seasonality, traveler behaviors and preferences have changed. Today’s traveler is not the same traveler of years past,” says Trent Innes, chief growth officer, SiteMinder. “We know through our data that travelers are booking further ahead than before. We also know through our own research that travelers are happy to spend money beyond the cost of their room, but that increased prices are forcing them to adapt by opting for package deals, as an example. It’s therefore vital that hoteliers are dynamic in the way they do business, to ensure they keep pace with their customers and understand how every customer touchpoint is a revenue opportunity.”
SiteMinder’s data is based on the booking data of more than 41,000 hotel customers, which in 2023 used SiteMinder’s platform to secure more than 115 million bookings valued at more than US$45 billion in revenue. The report also reveals the Top 12 hotel booking sources for Canadian hotels. Based on the total gross revenue they generated via SiteMinder’s platform in 2023:
1. Booking.com
2. Expedia Group
3. Hotel websites (direct bookings)
4. Agoda
5. Global distribution systems
6. Hostelworld Group
7. Hotelbeds
8. Airbnb
9. Getaroom.com
10. Trip.com
11. Travco
12. TBOHolidays
Opal Hospitality has expanded into the U.S. market with acquisition of Four Points by Sheraton Charlotte-Lake Norman, Huntersville, N.C.
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