DiamondRock Hospitality pany(US:DRH)2026-02-27 15:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the full year 2025, corporate adjusted EBITDA was $297.6 million, and adjusted FFO per share was $1.08, with free cash flow per share at $0.69, reflecting a 6% increase over 2024 and a 22% increase since 2023 [3] - Full year comparable total RevPAR grew by 1.2%, while comparable hotel adjusted EBITDA increased by 1.1% [3] - In Q4 2025, corporate adjusted EBITDA was $71.9 million, and adjusted FFO per share was $0.27, with comparable RevPAR declining by 30 basis points [3][4] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Business transient revenue grew by 2.5%, while group revenue declined by 1% and leisure transient revenue decreased by 2.5% [4] - Out-of-room revenue per occupied room at resorts increased nearly 7%, marking the strongest quarterly growth of the year [5] - Food and beverage revenues rose by 1.4%, with margins expanding by 120 basis points due to a modest increase in labor costs [5][6] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The urban portfolio, accounting for 62% of annual EBITDA, delivered 0.3% RevPAR growth in Q4, with notable performance from specific hotels [6] - Resort RevPAR declined by 1.8%, while total RevPAR increased by 1.1% [6] - The company expects to enter 2026 with $149 million of group room revenue on the books, the same as 2025, which was a peak year [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to drive outsized free cash flow per share growth, with a disciplined capital allocation strategy [17][18] - A five-year capital expenditure program is planned, equating to 7%-9% of total revenues, which is lower than the peer average [19] - The company is likely to be a net seller of hotels in 2026, focusing on transactions that advance its strategy to increase free cash flow per share [25] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the trajectory of resorts, citing the lowest year-over-year RevPAR decline in Q4 among all quarters [7] - The company anticipates benefiting from favorable year-over-year comparisons following the federal government shutdown and expects improved group business conversion [26] - The higher-end portfolio is expected to continue benefiting from affluent consumer spending patterns, with early signs of strong demand for spring break and upcoming events [27][28] Other Important Information - The company redeemed its Series A redeemable preferred shares, which is expected to generate a $0.03 tailwind to FFO per share in 2026 [9][10] - The company plans to declare quarterly dividends of $0.09 per share in 2026, with potential for a fourth-quarter sub-dividend [11] Q&A Session Summary Question: Thoughts on labor and benefits pace in 2026 - Management expects labor costs to increase around 3% in 2026, influenced by contract renewals in New York [36] Question: Insights on first quarter RevPAR - The first quarter is expected to be the toughest comparison of the year, with group pace weighted towards growth in the second and fourth quarters [39] Question: Impact of Westin Seaport franchise expiration - Management is pleased with interest from multiple brands regarding the Westin Seaport and is working towards finalizing a deal [43] Question: RevPAR lift from World Cup demand - Approximately 20 basis points of RevPAR growth is embedded in the 2026 guidance from World Cup demand, with early signs of rate strength [45] Question: Out-of-room spend performance - Management is cautiously optimistic about continuing to improve out-of-room spend, with a 10% increase in leads and tentatives for group bookings compared to last year [52] Question: CapEx plans for 2026 - Management indicated that CapEx will focus on value engineering and appropriate expenditures for each hotel, with larger successes expected in CapEx [56] Question: State of business transient travel - Management believes affluent consumers will continue to spend, while visibility on lower-level consumer trends is less clear [97]