breanna smith
Anchorage, Alaska: Hotel Market Trends and Conversions to Housing
Breanna S. Smith | November 6, 2023
By Breanna S. Smith Prior to the pandemic, the Anchorage hospitality market was in a period of expansion. The market was historically reliant on natural resource (oil and gas) extraction. Demand increases in the years prior to 2020 were supported by the market’s popularity as a tourism destination, largely centered around the cruise industry, and growth in the transportation industry. However, similar to trends across the nation, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantial declines within the tourism industry beginning in March 2020. While much of the state’s commercial business remained essential, tourism was substantially affected,...
Anchorage Lodging Market: Winter 2021 Update
Kasia M. Russell | February 23, 2021
By Kasia Russell and Breanna Smith Amid a worldwide pandemic, the Anchorage lodging industry continues to experience a downturn that is greater than the past two lodging-market declines combined. The major factors that have affected this market since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 are highlighted below. Key Factors in 2020 Unlike many other U.S. markets, Anchorage did not initially experience the severity of the pandemic given that oil and gas operations, Alaska’s largest economic driver, remained essential; thus, no major layoffs or furloughs were instituted, and workers continued to travel to/from drilling locations. F...
HVS Market Pulse: Interstate 5 Corridor Tourism Destinations in Oregon
Breanna S. Smith | November 26, 2019
By Breanna S. Smith, Lauren Reynolds Salem Salem, the state capital of Oregon, has not historically been known as a tourism destination. However, in recent years, the city’s local economy has diversified to include manufacturing, distribution, and technology. Thus, with the expansion of economic drivers and the increased population, Salem has entered a period of revitalization in order to offer more retail, dining, and entertainment facilities. This has also increased Salem’s attractiveness as a tourism destination. Furthermore, a vision for the rejuvenation of one the premier attractions in the area, Riverfront Park, is fostering high ...
HVS Market Pulse: Bend, Oregon
Breanna Smith | January 23, 2019
By Breanna Smith and Kirsten Z. Smiley Bend is located approximately 100 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon, situated along the Deschutes River. The city is a top leisure destination, known for its scenic setting near the Cascade Mountain Range and its year-round recreational opportunities. At an elevation of 3,625 feet, Bend enjoys the predominately dry climate of the Great Basin, characterized by sunny days, cool nights, and low humidity. In 2017, the United States Census Bureau reported that the Bend-Redmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was among the fifteen fastest-growing metro areas in the nation. In addition to tourism, t...
HVS Market Pulse: Boise, Idaho
Breanna Smith | August 17, 2017
By Breanna Smith Boise is closing in on the ranks of the top ten cities in which to live in the U.S., according to the 2017 survey by U.S. News & World Report. The reasons for the elevated ranking—number 12, as of this year—include affordability, job prospects, and overall quality of life. This reflects Boise's ascendance in other spheres, including population, visitation numbers, and the number of proposed hotels, especially in the city's downtown corridor. The ongoing development boom compares to the Grove Plaza-centric boom of the late 1980s and '90s,[1] when architectural staples of Downtown Boise arose, including th...
