What is the implied priceâperâkey valuation compared to other recent hotel sale multiples in the market?
Implied valuation: The transaction closed at $393,000 per key (369 roomsâŻĂ·âŻ$145âŻM).
Market comparison: Recent U.S. hotel disposals have clustered around a âŻ$350â$450âŻk perâkey range for upscale assets and $300â$350âŻk for midâscale properties. For example, a 2024 sale of a 300âroom boutique hotel in Denver fetched roughly $380âŻk per key, while a 2025 sale of a 400âroom premiumâcityâcenter hotel in Chicago was priced at about $460âŻk per key. Braemarâs $393âŻk per key therefore sits midâtierâslightly above the median for midâscale deals but comfortably below the premiumâcityâcenter premium. It signals a respectable, though not topâend, valuation for a wellâlocated, 4âstar urban property.
Trading implications:
- Fundamentals: The price is in line with market expectations for a highâquality, waterfront asset, suggesting Braemarâs portfolio is being monetised at a fair multiple. The cash inflow should improve its balance sheet and may fund nearâterm growth projects or debt reduction, a positive catalyst for the stock.
- Technical outlook: Braemar shares have been trading near the 200âday moving average after the announcement, with modest upside potential if the market prices in the improved liquidity and the âcleanâexitâ narrative. A breakout above the recent resistance at $22â$23 could attract momentum traders, while a breach below $19 may signal a reâvaluation of the dealâs impact.
- Actionable view: Given the solid but not premium perâkey price, the market is likely to view the sale as a valueâadding event. A buyâonâdip position if the stock retests the 200âday average, or a shortâterm swingâlong on a breakout, aligns with the fundamentals of a cashârich, wellâpositioned hotel operator.