European Hotels Turned In 2015's Top Performance Outside North America

Europe led regions outside North America in growth of both hotel occupancy and average daily rate.

The region reported a 2.3 percent year-over-year increase in occupancy to 70.1 percent and a 4.6 percent year-over-year increase in ADR to $126.97, according to STR. Meanwhile, Asia/Pacific saw nearly flat occupancy growth of 0.1 percent to 68.2 percent and a 0.5 percent decline in ADR to $108.79. In the Middle East and Africa, ADR, dropped 0.7 percent and occupancy rose 0.7 percent. Finally, Central/South America occupancy fell 3.9 percent to 58.1 percent, and ADR increased 4.5 percent to $117.76.

Still, many major hotel companies managed to realize growth in most global regions last year. Here's a closer look at hotel performance by region.

Europe in 2015

Strong performances in Southern European markets like Spain, Italy and Malta shouldered some of the region's burden following November's terror attacks, which affected demand in Paris, Brussels and London.

Paris had already reported dips in occupancy and ADR in October, before the attacks, according to STR. For the full year, occupancy there decreased 4.8 percent to 76.5 percent, but ADR increased 3.3 percent to €255.80. In December, occupancy plummeted 20 percent year over year to 58.9 percent, the market's lowest occupancy of any December since 2001. In Brussels, which faced a security lockdown following the Paris attacks, occupancy fell 19.3 percent year over year in November and 26.5 percent in December.

For the year, Milan reported a 9.4 percent increase in occupancy and a 19.3 percent spike in ADR to €155.58. STR attributed the success to Expo Milano, a world fair that ran from May through October. In November, though, occupancy continued to rise, up 5.1 percent year over year to 69.3 percent, and ADR grew a striking 32.1 percent to €151.55. Spain ADR spiked during October, up 13.8 percent year over year to €104.26, and its 77.1 percent occupancy rate was the country's highest for any October since 2000.

"Our results were really a tale of two regions, with strong performance in the southern markets, offset by weakness in the north," Starwood Hotels & Resorts CFO Alan Schnaid said of fourth-quarter performance during the company's recent earnings call. For the full year, Starwood's Europe ADR dropped 13.2 percent to $195.99, and occupancy increased 1.8 percentage points to 70.2 percent. The hotel company reported flat year-over-year revenue per available room in Germany.

For Marriott International, which is expected to merge with Starwood, full-year ADR in all of Europe increased 4 percent year over year to $167.63, and occupancy rose 1.5 percentage points to 74.3 percent. CEO Arne Sorenson pointed out positive performance in Italy and Spain but weaker results in Germany, whose "economic growth has cooled with fewer exports to China."

For the full year, occupancy in Germany increased 2.2 percent to 69.9 percent, and ADR rose 4.3 percent to €99.46, according to STR. The country's 2.8 percent demand growth outpaced its 0.6 percent supply growth. In 11 of the 12 months, occupancy increased year over year.

Hilton Worldwide and InterContinental Hotels Group both reported positive results from Germany in the fourth quarter, which IHG CFO Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson attributed to "a favorable trade fair calendar, which will continue to be strong into 2016."

Marriott and Hilton both reported softer performances in London during the fourth quarter, which they attributed to the November terror attacks and weaker business transient performance. In the broader United Kingdom, AccorHotels' occupancy decreased 0.3 percent year over year to 80.8 percent, but ADR increased 4.5 percent to €106.

Asia/Pacific in 2015

In China, 4.1 percent full-year supply growth outpaced 3.9 percent demand growth, hurting the country's performance, which mirrored that of the region overall, according to STR. China occupancy dipped 0.1 percent to 65.1 percent, and ADR decreased 3.4 percent in local currency terms.

"China's economic growth moderated in 2015, yet mainland China RevPAR still rose roughly 4 percent in the fourth quarter," Sorenson said of Marriott's year-over-year performance there. "Chinese consumers continue to spend. In fact, international travel from mainland China to our hotels in other markets increased 31 percent."

IHG, too, reported positive performance in Greater China. "In mainland, Tier 1 cities where the hotel market is farther along the maturity curve, we drove RevPAR up 6 percent," Edgecliffe-Johnson said.

Starwood and Hilton both reported negative performance in Greater China during the fourth quarter. Starwood's RevPAR decreased 2.9 percent and Hilton's declined 3 percent, though Hilton's RevPAR increased 7 percent for the full year.

Strong group volume in Japan during the fourth quarter helped boost Hilton's RevPAR there 15 percent year over year. Starwood and IHG also recorded positive RevPAR gains in Japan during the fourth quarter, benefiting from inbound travel from China.

For the full year, Thailand occupancy grew 13.6 percent to 73.6 percent, but ADR decreased 0.4 percent in local currency terms, according to STR.

Middle East & Africa in 2015

Low oil prices, security concerns, geopolitical instability and oversupply in Dubai drove softer performance in the Middle East and Africa. Middle East occupancy declined 2 percent to 67.4 percent, and ADR fell 2.6 percent to $192.82, according to STR.

United Arab Emirates occupancy dipped 0.6 percent to 74.8 percent and ADR dropped 6.2 percent in local currency terms. Saudi Arabia occupancy decreased 2.6 percent to 62.4 percent, but ADR increased 3.6 percent in local currency terms.

Africa fared better, as occupancy rose 0.2 percent to 57.3 percent and ADR went up 7.1 percent to $111.34. Egypt occupancy rose 4.2 percent to 53.7 percent and ADR soared 18.9 percent in local currency terms, in spite of October's Russian airliner crash in Egypt.

Starwood's Africa RevPAR increased 8 percent year over year during the fourth quarter.

Central & South America in 2015

Weak economic conditions in Brazil and Argentina tempered the region's performance. South America occupancy declined 4.8 percent to 58.1 percent, but ADR increased 5.3 percent to $118.64, according to STR.

The outbreak of Zika virus has raised questions about travel to South America. "We have seen a few cancellations due to the Zika virus and are watching this carefully," Starwood's Schnaid said in February. "Hotels in affected areas are fogging outdoor areas, providing mosquito repellent for guests and dealing with areas of standing water."

Brazil occupancy nevertheless decreased 7.7 percent to 56.6 percent, and ADR dropped 5.8 percent in local currency terms. Argentina occupancy stayed somewhat flat, down 0.5 percent to 58.1 percent, but ADR rose 13.4 percent.

In Central America, occupancy increased 8.9 percent year over year to 58.2 percent, and ADR decreased 0.5 percent to $112.44. Panama City occupancy declined 0.6 percent to 50.5 percent, and ADR decreased 4.3 percent.