WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new national report compiled by Trepp shows that nearly one in four (23.4 percent) of commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) in the hotel sector are 30 or more days delinquent, the highest percentage on record. By comparison, 1.3 percent of hotel CMBS loans were 30 or more days delinquent at the end of 2019.
Nearly 4,000 hotel industry leaders signed a letter to the U.S. Congress imploring it to pass the Helping Open Properties Endeavor (HOPE) Act. The bill would provide assistance to small businesses, including hotel owners needing help to meet their debt-service obligations.
“With record low travel demand, thousands of hotels can’t afford to pay their commercial mortgages and are facing foreclosure with the harsh reality of having to close their doors permanently,” says Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). “Tens of thousands of hotel employees will lose their jobs and small business industries that depend on these hotels to drive local tourism and economic activity will likely face a similar fate.”
According to STR, occupancy levels across the country reached 50.2 percent during the week ending Aug. 15. It was the first time since mid-March that occupancy was above 50 percent.