Urban Luxury Hotel Supply in Brazil Outlook and perspectives Presented by
Urban Luxury Hotel Supply in Brazil When speaking about Luxury Hotel Supply (almost) everything is relative. The number of definitions that apply to the term luxury is directly proportional to the vast diversity of factors involved in the conceptualization of hospitality products: Location (Urban, etc.) Beach, Mountain, Number of apartments / Planning of common and private areas Market segmentation (business, events, leisure) In general terms, these factors along with the conceptualization determine the basic characteristics of the hotel: its infrastructure and services As a result of the interaction of these factors, and bearing in mind the variety of possible combinations, when talking about Luxury Hospitality, it is possible to define broad categories which define different hospitality products: urban luxury hotels, all-inclusive resorts, historical hotels, boutique hotels, and B&Bs, amongst others. The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism has recently established a new Classification System for Accommodation Facilities which includes the different lodging options available (hotel, resort, B&B, etc) and at the same time defines the categories (5*, 4*, 3*, etc.) applicable to each of these establishments. In view of this diversified and heterogeneous outlook, our scope focuses on the analysis of the characteristics and development of a specific segment within the Brazilian luxury hospitality industry: urban hotels. Even while reducing the scope and limiting it to a certain location (urban centers), the luxury category still includes very different products: the Belmond Copacabana Palace in, the Unique Hotel in, the Pestana Convento do Camo in Salvador or the Royal Tulip Alvorada in Brasilia. Within this category we can also include the small boutique hotels supply, which is getting more and more relevant with time, mainly in and. On the other hand, there are also common aspects that permit to set a reference point of what can be considered as a luxury hotel in Brazil: Design / Architecture Technology Differential Services & Infrastructure Events Quality, distinction, themes, designer brands, architects, etc. Applied to resources management (energy), the guests comfort, marketing and operations management. Creation of common areas (lobby, bar, leisure areas) and services proposals which enhance the experience in the hotel SPA / Wellness Center Concierge Quality restaurants with their own identity Areas to hold small or large sized events, which are functional and have suitable, state-of-the-art equipment In any case, even when talking about urban hotels oriented to the business segment of the demand, luxury hotels are increasingly looking to offer a differential experience: apart from a nice room, they must offer an exclusive and international quality restaurant, a SPA and, in general terms, common areas which respect and accompany the concept chosen by the hotel to tell a story. To talk about stories and experiences may sound strange, or even pretentious, when looking at some of the oldest and most emblematic hotels in the main cities of Brazil.
In the same way that the concept of what luxury represents has changed, some hotels which used to be considered luxurious in past are no longer competitive in the current market: the market changes, and so does the supply. That s the in & out dynamics: while new hotels enter the market, the oldest ones must be updated, refurbished and re-position in order to remain competitive. Otherwise, they are forced to leave the market. This development dynamics of the luxury hospitality supply in the main urban centers of the country is reflected in the historical growth the market: an increase in the hotel rooms supply cannot be understood literally because, besides the entrance of new rooms into the market, we should also look at those hotel rooms that start to compete in a different tier of the market (midscale, upscale) and are no longer part of the luxury supply, or those which effectively close and leave the market. An example of this situation could be the Grand Hotel Ca d Oro in the city of, one of the first luxury hotels in the country, which closed in 2009 and will be re-opened in the near future. Similar situations (entering or leaving the market, refurbishments, reflags, etc.) can be seen in relation to other icons of the urban luxury hotel supply in Brazil: the Mofarrej Hotel (currently Tivoli), Maksoud Plaza and Sheraton WTC in, the Belmond Copacabana Palace in and the Sheraton Bahia, in Salvador. According to our survey, the current supply of hotel rooms that can be classified within the category of urban luxury is approximately 10 thousand rooms. This supply will be increased in, approximately, three thousand rooms during the next three years. This number could reach up to four thousand rooms if projects that are still in the analysis phase were considered. The current average annual growth rate for urban luxury rooms in Brazil for the 2011/2016 period is not very different from that of the last three decades (6-7%). 14.000 13.202 12% 12.000 11% 10% 10.000 9% # rooms 8.000 6.000 7% 7% 7% 4.910 6% 8% 7% 6% CAGR - % 4.000 2.000 1.209 1.264 2.461 684 1.096 536 1.042 5% 4% - Before 1980's 1980's 1990's 2000's 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2% New supply Total supply CAGR The growth and development of new luxury hotels supply in the main urban centers came hand in hand with the entrance into the market of new hotel chains and international brands (Marriott, Hyatt) and with the consolidation of the international hotel chains which were already operating in the Brazilian market (Accor, Starwood, Hilton and Louvre).
This scenario was complemented by the participation of national hotel chains which contributed with their own products (Bourbon, Windsor, Deville). And finally, it was accompanied by worldwide trends, especially in the two main markets, and, where exclusive products of a smaller scale were developed, more focused in the boutique/design concept: the Emiliano, Fasano and Unique hotels in, and the Fasano and Santa Teresa hotels in, for example. Regarding the location of urban luxury hospitality in Brazil, the study carried out on the total amount of rooms, shows the following distribution: Belo Horizonte Fortaleza 8% Brasília 11% Salvador 11% Curitiba Porto Alegre 29% 32% and are the main markets of the urban luxury hospitality supply in Brazil. This is expectable when taking into account the economic importance of both cities and the fact that they represent the main gateways for tourists of the country. Salvador, Brasilia and Fortaleza have smaller shares of the market. Other capital cities such as Belo Horizonte, Curitiba and Porto Alegre present an emerging luxury hospitality supply. Outras cidades Porto Alegre Curitiba Recife Belo Horizonte Fortaleza Brasilia Salvador Sao Paulo - 1.000 2.000 3.000 4.000 5.000 6.000 # Rooms Current supply Future supply When referring to the future supply, represents the largest pipeline, while shows a more moderate growth. The Metropolitan Region of Recife (Cabo de Santo Agostinho) should be regarded as important as it will be the home of two projects (Sheraton and Four Seasons) which will represent the entrance of luxury hotels in a market that currently lacks of this type of products. Particularly in, the lack of land available at affordable prices in the South Region (Botafogo, Copacabana, Ipanema, Lebol), boosted Barra da Tijuca, becoming the target for new hospitality investments in general and in the luxury segment in particular. The revitalization of the port area in (Porto Maravilha) and its downtown, on the other hand, is also attracting and generating new possibilities for the development of luxury hotel products (mainly focused in the boutique concept). Along with Recife, will be receiving one of the most expected brands in the Brazilian hotel market: Four Seasons. will be receiving the Trump Hotel and the Hilton and Hyatt brands will also enter into the market. The city will also receive the Emiliano Hotel, the carioca version of the very
well-known and succeeded Hotel Emiliano of Although the luxury supply will witness a significant increase, it is still to be seen what will happen with projects for the arrival of chains and brands that still do not have any presence in Brazil, such as W, Westin or St. Regis (Starwood), M Gallery (Accor), Dream (Wyndham); the arrival of chains and brands that are looking to enter in the region (Banyan Tree, Hard Rock, Yoo Hotels) and the development of more and new products oriented to the boutique and design niches of the market. Regarding their performance, by analyzing the occupation rates of the two main luxury markets ( and ) during the last two years, it is possible to see an increase in the demand for the period 2005/2011, with a predictable fall in 2009. In 2012 a slight decrease was seen, which fell lower in 2013. AOR %. Luxury hotel supply 80% 75% 70% 65% 60% 55% 50% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 / ABIH RJ / Tourism Observatory of The decrease in the occupation rate curve can be explained, on the one hand, from the point of view of the demand and bearing in mind the slowdown in Brazil s economy: luxury products are more sensitive to the highs and lows in the market. On the other hand, the partial entrance of new competition can explain this decrease from the point of view of the supply. 3.500 70% 3.500 80% 3.000 2.500 2.000 1.500 1.000 500 68% 66% 64% 62% 60% 58% 56% 54% 52% 3.000 2.500 2.000 1.500 1.000 500 75% 70% 65% 60% 55% - 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 50% - 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 50% Rooms supply AOR Rooms supply AOR / ABIH RJ / Tourism Observatory of As it happens with other tiers of the market (economic, midscale and upscale) the question is whether the markets will be able to absorb the new supply that will be added in the midterm. After studying the growth rate of the total hotel luxury rooms supply in Brazil, it could be said that, in general terms, there is not a big imbalance regarding the historical rates the sector has presented. What is certainly important is to analyze the geographical distribution (location) of the new supply and not to lose sight of the need to assess the projects, mainly the luxury ones, in relation to cycles and in perspective referring to a value that is, sometimes, forgotten but is actually the most important in the hotel business: the long-term.
Project Hotel Chain/Brand City # Rooms Opening year (expected) Total investment (in USD millions) Investor / Developer Trump Hotel Trump Hotel 171 2016 82,5 LSH Barra S.A Grand Hyatt Hyatt Hotels Residence 436 2015 126 Loteum Emiliano Independente 100 2015 16,9 n/d Pestana Rio Pestana Hotels Barra 311 2016 n/d Dominus Hilton Barra Carvalho Hilton Hotels 298 2014 n/d da Tijuca Hosken Gloria Palace n/d Hotel 231 n/d n/d Acron Grand Bourbon Hotéis & Alphaville Bourbon Resorts / Alphaville 461 2016 101 Goincorp Hotel Ca'D'Oro Independente 150 2014 n/d n/d Four Seasons Four Seasons 240 2016 170 Grupo Cornélio Brennand Palácio Tangará n/d 126 n/d n/d n/d Projeto Grupos Ex Hospital n/d n/d n/d n/d WWI e Allard Matarazzo Four Seasons Four Seasons Recife 160 2016 106 Grupo Cornélio Brennand Sheraton Reserva do Paiva Starwood Hotels Recife 298 2014 47 Odebrecht / Grupo Promovalor Pullman Belo Grupo Accor / Accor Hotels 280 2014 66 Belvedere Horizonte Maio/Paranasa Fasano Fasano Hotels Salvador 70 2014 33 n/d Radisson Atlântica Hotels Goiânia 160 2016 23 n/d Total 3.492
About the authors Mariano Carrizo Managing Director He has broad experience in several markets in the region and working in projects of different characteristics. He is also the Regional Marketing Executive of HTL for Latin America. Michael Schnürle Director Specialized in strategic development, conceptualization of new projects and market analysis. He leads the technical team of Horwath HTL in Brazil. Fale Conosco Alameda Campinas, 463 9º andar - Jd. Paulista +55 (11) 3372-3733 Contact: Michael Schnürle mschnurle@horwathhtl.com Avenida das Américas, 4200 - bloco 4 Grupo 206 - Barra da Tijuca +55 (21) 3385-4662 Contact: Mariano Carrizo mcarrizo@horwathhtl.com 2014 Crowe Horwath International. All rights reserved. Horwath refers to Horwath International Association, a Swiss Verein. Each member of the association is a separate and independent legal entity. www.horwathhtl.com www.crowehorwathbrasil.com.br