Is Hotel Business Profitable for a Higher ROI in 2024?

Yes, the hotel business holds great profit potential for generating a higher ROI when managed strategically and efficiently. Key determinants, such as prime location, market demand, guest satisfaction, and cost management, significantly influence a hotel’s profitability.

To thrive in this competitive industry and secure attractive returns on investment, hoteliers must remain adaptable, innovative, and customer-focused.

By embracing best practices, leveraging technology, and continuously improving guest experiences, hotels can capitalize on lucrative opportunities within the hospitality sector.

Let’s Understand the Hotel Business

The hotel business is not new. It has been hundreds of years since people have been involved in the hotel management business. Since the days of stagecoaches, urban growth entrepreneurs have always been interested in hotel ownership.

The hotel provides comfortable accommodations for travelers. Success in hotel management is linked to catering to the needs of targeted clients by creating an ambient environment. By providing good services and amenities to users, a hotel gains success.

Hotel management has evolved from its humble beginnings of supplying the minimum necessities of lodging to a big, multifaceted, and diverse sector.

How to Calculate Return on Investment in the Hotel Business

Before deciding on an investment, hoteliers should know the ROI. ROI is an economic value that results from various activities. This data enables us to measure the yield obtained from investments.

ROI shows you the return on investment. You can determine the investment based on your financial goals and risk tolerance. You can measure the cost of your investment and look for hidden charges that reduce your return.

The percentage is usually used to express ROI. To find the profitability of a business in a few seconds, you can use the ROI calculator.

ROI= (Net Profit/Investment) x100

5 Best Practices to Maximize Hotel Business Revenue

These are the factors that contribute to hotel profitability:

1. Occupancy Rates

Occupancy rate is described as how much space you have rented out or how much you have. It typically applies to hotels and rental units but is not limited to the hotel industry. The occupancy rate is an important factor in determining hotel profitability. The higher the occupancy rate, the greater the profitability.

2. Daily Room Rate Average (ADR)

In determining the hotel’s profitability, the ADR is an important factor. It is the average amount that guests pay per night for their rooms.

If the ADR is higher, the hotel’s profit will be higher. To grow the hotel business, the best-value room should be provided to guests at the best price.

3. Expenses

Hotel expenses play a vital role in the profitability of a hotel. To run a hotel efficiently, the costs and expenses of the hotel should be controlled.

4. Events

Hotels should be formed so that a variety of functions can be arranged. A hotel is not just a sleeping place; it can be used for arranging various events. Hotel events can be a source of income for hotels, which increases the ROI.

Many hotels are built to accommodate large gatherings like conferences, concerts, and festivals. A good hotel event can give guests an amazing experience, which increases the hotel’s reputation and, hence, its profitability.

5. RevPAR

RevPAR is defined as hotel revenue per available room. This measure is used to assess how effectively a hotel sells its rooms. The higher the RevPAR, the more profitable the hotel.

What role does ROI play in the hotel industry?

An investor who buys a finished hotel expects a return on investment from the hotel’s operational profit and the revaluation of fixed assets as the hotel’s value rises over time.

When assessing the return on investment, the future residual value of the hotel must be considered. We can make better selections and optimize our hotel project by estimating the ROI.

1. Economic Gain

There is a big economic gain in the hotel industry. Financial returns are higher for hotel investments. High income can be generated from a hotel’s operating cash flow if it has long-term ownership.

Many investors are interested in buying a hotel or resort, like a family-run hotel, to get cash returns. On average, a hotel owner receives 6–12% per year or more in cash returns based on the hotel’s business plan.

2. Risk vs. High Returns

Investors need to have good information on the risks associated with hotel investments. There is more risk in hotel investment than in other commercial real estate asset classes.

More strategies should be formed that result in gaining more profits and minimizing risks. Strong asset management can increase the success rate of a hotel. So, you can use an ROI calculator to find the efficiency of a business online.

3. Tax Efficiency

Tax efficiency is yet another reason for hotel investment. The hotel business has the highest tax efficiency among other businesses.

Consider the variety of physical property in a hotel, including buildings, engineering infrastructure, furniture, fixtures, and equipment. Depreciation does not affect cash flow, but it is a non-cash expense that lowers taxable income.

4. Leveraging Cost Control

You can manage expenses in the following three categories for high return and minimum investment cost: departmental (cost of goods sold), fixed (general cost not linked to revenue), and undistributed (operating costs).

With proper approach and planning, the price of such costs can be reduced, which gives a higher ROI ratio.

5. Value-add Possibilities

There are typically four ways to enhance the value of a hotel. The hotel investor or owner should keep this in mind to get the maximum profit out of a business.

a) Operations: Hotel management gives you the maximum benefit for your business. High operational efficiency and satisfied customers and employees can be the result of good management. A perfect management team adds value to the business while keeping costs to a minimum.

b) Contract positioning: You should always maintain a good security contract with suppliers and other support services. They can be a great asset to a business. These include Food deliveries, maintenance contracts, utility contracts, interior purchase discounts, laundry services, etc.

c) Renovation: Renovation is key to upgrading your smaller business into a bigger one. A hotel redesign and renovation can add long-term value to your asset. Whether renovations include a small upgrade or a large-scale refurbishment, they add significant value to the assets of the building.

d) Inflation: Real estate assets are powerful assets that are not affected by inflation. Even a rise in inflation only increases the value of a building. Hotel properties are often appreciated with inflation over a long period of time.

e) Fee Revenues: For hotel investment, the fee is yet another reason for economic gain. These fees include development fees, hotel management fees, and asset management fees.

Owners can earn development fees by selecting and managing a hotel acquisition deal from the early startup stages to sustainable levels. The owner of a hotel can charge expense management fees by forming a property business or operating company. Asset management fees can be earned if you manage assets for others.

f) Capital Protection: Buying hotel real estate provides you with a fast and substantial deployment of your capital, which is another reason to invest in the hotel market. Hotel asset values range typically into 7, 8, or 9-figure sums.

In conclusion

The hotel business can be highly profitable in 2024 if it is managed efficiently, embraces strategic practices, and focuses on maximizing customer satisfaction. A thorough understanding of ROI and the implementation of best practices contribute to the long-term success and profitability of hotel investments.

Hotels are certainly essential everywhere there are travelers in need of lodging. Hotel industry hotspots, on the other hand, are popular tourist destinations.

For example, smart business owners understand that a hotel near a popular city, landmark, stadium, or theme park will benefit from servicing the needs of large crowds.

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. Can small hotels be profitable?

    Yes, small hotels are also profitable. The profit of small hotels lies between thousands and millions in the United States. Today, small hotels also make high profits, but they are comparatively low when compared to the profits of large hotels. A hotel makes $50,000 to $150,000 annually in the United States, which is a big amount.

  2. Are hotels a good investment?

    Hotels play an important part in the global economy and help to create good profits and generate employment opportunities for a number of people. In the United States, a hotel owner can generate a high profit from the investment. Meanwhile, hotels are a good investment opportunity.

  3. Is it cheaper to buy or build a hotel?

    The construction cost of a hotel varies depending on the cost of materials, labor charges, selected location, type of hotel, provided facilities, and much more. Over time, the costs of labor and materials change. Meanwhile, it’s a daunting task to calculate the total cost of building a hotel. Performing the construction of a new building for a hotel is a difficult, expensive, and time-consuming task. On the other hand, if you buy a hotel, then it will be a good and cheap option.

  4. Is owning a hotel a lot of work?

    Yes, hotels offer rooms, quality meals, luxury furniture, bars, conference rooms, fitness centers, swimming pools, the best staff, and much more to entertain all the guests. Owning a hotel means managing a lot of tasks and staff efficiently to provide quality services and compete with competitors.

Dipayan Mondal
Dipayan Mondal

Dipayan is the author of this blog. He completed his hotel management degree from GNIHM, Kolkata. And he is very passionate about the hospitality industry. And right now, he is working as a successful hotelier in a 5-star hotel.