Consumer Nation
- Is Apple Coming to Sam’s Club Stores?
- W Hotels 'Fashion Next' Partnership to Hit the Runway
- Beer Giant Taps Into Cider in a Bid for Growth
- The Real Cost of Overtime Is Higher Than You Think
- Jason Wu Targets New Customers
- Do You Speak Super Bowl?
- Bargain-Hungry Cupid Grows Generous This Valentine's Day
- Private-Label Brands Gaining Clout — And Pricing Power
- Are Super Bowl Tickets an Oracle for the Luxury Consumer?
- Bud Bets Big on Super Bowl Week
RSS FEED
MOST SHARED
- Airbus A380 Wing Checks Extended to Entire Fleet
- Will Accelerating Inflation End China Stock Rally?
- Traders to Watch Jobless Claims for Signs of Recovery
- States Negotiate $26 Billion Deal for Homeowners
- How to Date a Wall Street Man
- Credit Suisse Swings to Loss, Sees Good 2012 Start
- Top Soccer Teams in Europe by Revenue
- Jim Rogers: I Would Not Buy Facebook
- Jack in the Box Bacon Milkshake
- Greek Party Leaders Fail to Sign Off on Bailout
- Bindi: Charm is Not Enough for Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti
- Tobacco Stocks a Hot Dividend Play: Analyst
- Is Apple Coming to Sam’s Club Stores?
- Gas Prices in All 50 States Back Above $3 a Gallon
- Is America Ready for a Bacon Milkshake?
- As Mortgage Refinancings Surge, Banks Struggle
- Forget the Earnings, Disney’s Issue Is the Multiple: Analyst
- W Hotels 'Fashion Next' Partnership to Hit the Runway
- Drug Stocks Do Well in ‘Gloom and Doom’ Market: Analyst
- Greeks Head to Brussels With Incomplete Bailout Deal
- Will Accelerating Inflation End China Stock Market Rally?
- Rio Tinto Dividend Surprise Masks Aluminum Hit
- ECB to Leave Rates Unchanged Ahead of More Loans
- Traders to Watch Jobless Claims for Signs of Recovery
- BoE Set for More Stimulus to Shore up Recovery
- Europe's Richest Football Teams Defy Economic Gloom
- Traders Fired Over Alleged Lending Rate Manipulation
- States Negotiate $26 Billion Deal for Homeowners
Has the Recovery in Travel Checked Out?
News Editor
After seeing signs of improvement in the travel industry at the start of the year, conditions are beginning to get a bit murky.
![]() |
Even wealthy travelers are focused on getting a great deal on their vacations. |
"We started the year very, very well and very strongly—up about 15 percent in revenue, most of that was in occupancy... but the summer slowed down a little bit," said John Scott, president and CEO of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, in an interview Monday with CNBC.
Rosewood operates a number of luxury properties, including The Carlyle hotel in New York, and resorts throughout the Caribbean. The company's business is primarily driven by leisure travel, Scott said.
"We were still getting fairly strong bookings from the Northeast," he said. "It was awfully hot there in New York, and the rest of the Northeast, but the summer slowed down."
It's too soon to tell whether the weakening demand was the result of travelers opting to take advantage of a stronger U.S. dollar and travel to Europe, or if it is a reflection of a more cautious consumer.
One positive sign for Rosewood is that room bookings for 2011 are looking good, according to Scott.
Travelers—even those that have higher incomes—remain very focused on value, Scott added.
"The consumer is looking for more for less," he said. "... we're in the very, very high end so we get less of it (consumers seeking extreme deals)."
Still, factors such as higher airfares to the Caribbean region may be hurting the company's business as consumers are looking at the total cost of a vacation very carefully.
Stephen Bartolin, the president and CEO of The Broadmoor, a luxury resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado, also said consumers are still price conscious.
The Broadmoor relies on both leisure and business travelers, and has seen an improvement in both categories.
"Leisure has literally saved us this year in this economy," Bartolin said. "...The leisure business has been strong. The meeting industry is back to a degree, but it is far from robust."
Bartolin also said companies are experiencing a "sense of uncertainty" given expected changes in health care and taxes, among other things.
"They are not sure where it's going to take their company in a year," he went on to say.
More from Consumer Nation:
- High Airfares Slowing Rebound in Consumer Travel: Orbitz CEO
- Retail for Sale: Time for Private Equity to Shop
- Parents Vs. Stores: Who Blinks First?
Questions? Comments? Email us at









