The US lodging industry will spend $3 billion on renovations next year, or more money than any year since 1998, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The projection indicates hoteliers are feeling more confident about a turnaround in the lodging business, said Bjorn Hanson, the global leader of PwC’s hospitality practice.
The top five categories of improvements are expected to be: beds and bedding, televisions, architecture customized to the local area, high-speed internet connectivity, and signage.
The projection on hotel renovations conforms with PwC’s earlier prediction that industry revenue will rise nearly 5% next year, and 3.4% in 2005.
PwC said that at the same time, hoteliers are instituting or increasing surcharges. Surcharges appearing in the US market include cancellation fees, early departure fees averaging $50, telephone surcharges, increased fax charges, and rising room service delivery fees, among others.
