Benjamin Giebler
Resurgence and Strength: Demand and Supply Growth in Wichita
Benjamin Giebler | March 4, 2024
By Benjamin Giebler Given its location and position as the state’s largest city, Wichita serves as the primary economic hub for central Kansas. Wichita, known as the “Air Capital of the World,” is home to several major aircraft-manufacturing facilities and McConnell Air Force Base. The local economy is further supported by major employers in the manufacturing industry and healthcare and education sectors including Koch Industries, Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital, and Wichita State University (WSU). This strong and diverse economy supported stability in the local hotel market’s occupancy and ADR through 2019. CO...
Kansas City’s Flourishing Demand Generators Bolster Hotel Interest
Benjamin Giebler | May 9, 2023
By Benjamin Giebler, Daniel P. McCoy The Kansas City hotel market has rebounded following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and high levels of leisure demand and the return of convention activity have driven the recovery. Despite rising construction costs, a number of hotel developments are proposed in Kansas City, signaling an optimistic outlook for the market. Events and Developments in Kansas City A number of major events and development projects across Kansas City should boost hotel demand and bolster pricing power in the coming years, as outlined below. In March 2019, construction began on a $1.5-billion project to convert ...
The St. Louis Lodging Market’s Enduring Recovery
Daniel P. McCoy | March 14, 2023
By Daniel McCoy, Benjamin Giebler Similar to the rest of the nation, hotel metrics in St. Louis plummeted in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the market had entered a healthy recovery phase by the spring of 2021. Growth accelerated through the remainder of the year, fueled by a surge of leisure travel and the slow reemergence of commercial demand, as well as the return of conventions and major events. Demand continued to improve in 2022, as corporate employees gradually returned to offices and attendance at large conventions and events increased. Rising labor costs and the shift in travel patterns, as leisure demand rapid...
