When to buy and when to sell is the million dollar question.  At SVN Cornerstone, we have brokers that can help you understand the risks and advantages that are important in solving these big decisions.

Check out the article below to learn more specifically about Hotel evaluations and if you have a Hotel reach out to SVN Cornerstone and ask for the SVN Hotels team.

Now is the time that every hotel owner is making one of three decisions: Do I hold, sell or refinance? Thousands of pages, reports, articles and books have been written on the subject. However, the answer could be much simpler: If you own a franchised hotel, you should be a seller when there are buyers and when your hotel still qualifies for a new full-term franchise.

Within the United States, most franchise companies are asset-light. That means they own few hotels and little real estate. Franchised hotels represent a high percentage of the U.S. lodging supply. With franchised hotels, there comes a point in ownership where diminishing returns overtake the projected value return. Many of the suburban and tertiary select-service franchised hotels today will eventually be viewed and valued as brand obsolete and will struggle to maintain operational profitability.

When contemplating exit strategies, the central decision driver should be the brand. In fact, the value of a franchised hotel is tied directly to the brand and that brand’s performance. Therefore, the decision should be based on the longevity of the brand.

One example would be a 10-year-old Hilton, Marriott or IHG hotel that can still be PIPed deep enough to qualify for a new full-term license. Therefore, one simple answer is to sell when you are certain the buyer can still get a new full-term license. Another example: owning a 15-year-old box when the economy is heading into a downcycle. Because most downcycles last five to six years on average, by the time the economy has improved your 15-year-old hotel is now 20 years old and potentially at risk for its brand. If your franchisor is within one of the top-tier brand families, the death nail to your investment is hearing the words from the franchisor, “remaining term only.” This basically means that your franchisor does not believe your hotel meets the long-term needs and image of the brand. When you hear those words, you waited too long to sell.

Therefore, it’s best to sell when there are buyers and while the buyer can still obtain a new full-term license. The definition of what makes a buyer a buyer is simple: They can get a loan and can see some upside. The life term of a franchise is continually a moving target, and it is incumbent that the hotel owner understands where the brand is heading and the cost to maintain the hotel within brand guidelines.

There are, of course, many other factors that affect value, but these are the most basic guidelines that could help hotel owners maintain value in their real estate.