UK Hotel Commercial Property Market Experiences Further Decline

Falling hotel occupancy levels and room rates mean that there is less income for hotel investors, many of which have financed these commercial properties through high levels of borrowed debt. As a reaction to the adverse market conditions many hotels are now offering rooms at highly discounted rates. The three and four star hotel market has been hit especially hard and they have had to heavily discount their room rates in order to remain competitive. Holiday Inn / Holiday Express have implemented a credit crunch action plan which includes lowering their rates to around £21 pp in the UK, increased promotions and marketing to their customers and target audience, and asking suppliers for either better terms or lower costs so that they can continue to remain competitive within the hotel commercial property industry.

Budget hotels are not completely recession proof either and companies such as Travelodge have experienced a fall in business stays and leisure at the weekends. However, despite these slight declines they are taking full advantage of the credit crunch’s effects on the commercial property market and have purchased several great value real estate deals that before the recession would have been unavailable to them.

Budget hotel chain Jury's Inn are also taking full advantage of the increasing demand for budget hotel accommodation that has been created by the recession and are spending £90 million on opening four new hotels across England and Scotland. They are developing hotels in Portsmouth, Bradford, Newcastle and Glasgow as part of their plan for accelerated growth. They are hoping to take full advantage of the trend for business users and British tourists to stay in cheaper hotels and have also secured several lucrative commercial property deals that before the credit crunch simply were not feasible or available to them.

Despite the overall economic downward trend in the UK there have been nationwide sales increases for budget and cut cost retailers and service providers, whether they provide food, clothing or leisure breaks. The UK consumer products and commercial market is becoming increasingly buyer led. Consumers are finding that there are great offers available to them either through heavy discounting of high end brands or through taking full advantage of budget products and services that are also offering promotional pricing and offer based marketing to their customers. Travelodge and Jury’s Inn are taking full advantage of this trend and are setting themselves up for long-term growth with new commercial properties and increased customers.

Despite the overall decline in the UK hotel market cash rich buyers will find that over the next couple of years there will be some great hotel commercial property investment opportunities available to them.