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SINGAPORE and SHANGHAI, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H World Group Limited (NASDAQ: HTHT and HKEX: 1179) (“H World”, the “Company”, “we” or “our”), a key player in the global hotel industry, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

As of September 30, 2024, H World’s worldwide hotel network in operation totaled 10,845 hotels and 1,062,546 rooms, including 138 hotels and 27,687 rooms from DH. During the third quarter of 2024, our Legacy-Huazhu business opened 774 hotels, including 3 leased and owned hotels, and 771 manachised and franchised hotels, and closed a total of 217 hotels, including 25 leased and owned hotels and 192 manachised and franchised hotels. As of September 30, 2024, H World had a total of 2,925 unopened hotels in the pipeline, including 2,899 hotels from the Legacy-Huazhu business and 26 hotels from the Legacy-DH business.

Legacy-Huazhu – Third Quarter of 2024 Operational Highlights

As of September 30, 2024, Legacy-Huazhu had 10,707 hotels in operation, including 570 leased and owned hotels, and 10,137 manachised and franchised hotels. In addition, as of the same date, Legacy-Huazhu had 1,034,859 hotel rooms in operation, including 83,861 rooms under the lease and ownership model, and 950,998 rooms under the manachise and franchise models. Legacy-Huazhu also had 2,899 unopened hotels in its pipeline, including 6 leased and owned hotels, and 2,893 manachised and franchised hotels. The following discusses Legacy-Huazhu’s revenue per available room (“RevPAR”), average daily room rate (“ADR”) and occupancy rate for leased and owned Huazhu hotels, as well as manachised and franchised Huazhu hotels for the periods indicated.

• The ADR was RMB301 in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB324 in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB296 in the previous quarter.

• The occupancy rate for all the Legacy-Huazhu hotels in operation was 84.9% in the third quarter of 2024, compared with 85.9% in the third quarter of 2023 and 82.6% in the previous quarter.

• Blended RevPAR was RMB256 in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB278 in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB244 in the previous quarter.

• For all the Legacy-Huazhu hotels which had been in operation for at least 18 months, the same-hotel RevPAR was RMB258 in the third quarter of 2024, representing a 10.3% decline from RMB288 in the third quarter of 2023, with an 8.4% decrease in same-hotel ADR and a 1.8 percentage-point decrease in same-hotel occupancy rate.

Legacy-DH – Third Quarter of 2024 Operational Highlights

As of September 30, 2024, Legacy-DH had 138 hotels in operation, including 77 leased hotels, and 61 manachised and franchised hotels. In addition, as of the same date, Legacy-DH had 27,687 hotel rooms in operation, including 15,700 rooms under the lease model, and 11,987 rooms under the manachise and franchise models. Legacy-DH also had 26 unopened hotels in the pipeline, including 12 leased hotels and 14 manachised and franchised hotels. The following discusses Legacy-DH’s RevPAR, ADR and occupancy rate for leased as well as manachised and franchised DH hotels (excluding hotels temporarily closed) for the periods indicated.

• The ADR was EUR117 in the third quarter of 2024, compared with EUR114 in the third quarter of 2023 and EUR120 in the previous quarter.

• The occupancy rate for all Legacy-DH hotels in operation was 69.8% in the third quarter of 2024, compared with 69.0% in the third quarter of 2023 and 68.3% in the previous quarter.

• Blended RevPAR was EUR82 in the third quarter of 2024, compared with EUR79 in the third quarter of 2023 and EUR82 in the previous quarter.

Jin Hui, CEO of H World commented: “After reaching the milestone of 10,000 hotels in the second quarter, we continued our fast-paced, high-quality network growth and opened 774 new hotels in China in the third quarter of 2024. This quarter, Legacy-Huazhu’s blended RevPAR declined by 8% year-over-year primarily due to a high ADR base in the same period last year and unfavorable weather. Our occupancy rate remained solid at 85% despite our ongoing rapid hotel network expansion. Going forward, we will continue to emphasize the importance of sustainable high-quality growth. We aim to expand our presence across all regions and continue penetrating into lower-tier cities in China, thereby reaching more of China’s hotel market with our high-quality hotel products with excellent services.”

“Regarding our business outside China, our Legacy-DH business recorded a 3.7% year-over-year blended RevPAR increase in the third quarter of 2024. We continued focusing on cost reduction in our European business, while at the same time seeking growth opportunities in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and in the Middle East areas.”

Third Quarter of 2024 Unaudited Financial Results

Revenue in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB6.4 billion (US$918 million), representing a 2.4% year-over-year increase and a 4.8% quarter-over-quarter increase. Revenue from the Legacy-Huazhu segment in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB5.2 billion, representing a 1.0% year-over-year increase and a 6.9% quarter-over-quarter increase. Our year-over-year revenue growth rate was negatively affected by our selected closures of several underperforming leased and owned hotels, as well as the decline in RevPAR. Revenue from the Legacy-DH segment in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB1.3 billion, representing an 8.9% year-over-year increase and a 3.0% quarter-over-quarter decrease. The year-over-year increase was attributable to both business recovery and our network expansion.

Revenue from leased and owned hotels in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB3.7 billion (US$526 million), representing a 4.8% year-over-year decrease and a 0.2% quarter-over-quarter increase. Revenue from leased and owned hotels from the Legacy-Huazhu segment in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB2.5 billion, representing a 10.4% year-over-year decrease, due mainly to our selected closures of several underperforming leased and owned hotels in operation. Revenue from leased hotels from the Legacy-DH segment in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB1.2 billion, representing an 8.8% year-over-year increase.

Revenue from manachised and franchised hotels in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB2.6 billion (US$371 million), representing a 14.7% year-over-year increase and an 11.5% quarter-over-quarter increase. Revenue from manachised and franchised hotels from the Legacy-Huazhu segment in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB2.6 billion, representing a 14.7% year-over-year increase, driven by our hotel network expansion. Revenue from manachised and franchised hotels from the Legacy-DH segment in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB34 million, representing a 13.3% year-over-year increase.

Other revenue represents revenue generated from businesses other than our hotel operations, which mainly includes revenue from the provision of IT products and services, as well as Huazhu Mall™ and other revenue from the Legacy-DH segment, totaling RMB150 million (US$21 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared to RMB142 million in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB133 million in the previous quarter.

Hotel operating costs in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB3.8 billion (US$541 million), compared to RMB3.6 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB3.7 billion in the previous quarter. The year-over-year increase was mainly due to rising personnel costs as our hotel network continues to expand. Hotel operating costs from the Legacy-Huazhu segment in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB2.8 billion, which represented 54.3% of the quarter’s Huazhu revenue, compared to RMB2.7 billion or 52.0% of Huazhu revenue in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB2.7 billion or 56.7% in the previous quarter. Hotel operating costs from the Legacy-DH segment in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB996 million, which represented 77.8% of DH revenue, compared to RMB953 million or 81.1% of DH revenue in the third quarter of 2023, and RMB995 million or 75.4% in the previous quarter.

Selling and marketing expenses in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB303 million (US$43 million), compared to RMB289 million in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB317 million in the previous quarter. Selling and marketing expenses from the Legacy-Huazhu segment in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB186 million, which represented 3.6% of this quarter’s Huazhu revenue, compared to RMB177 million or 3.5% of Huazhu revenue in the third quarter of 2023, and RMB193 million or 4.0% for the previous quarter. Selling and marketing expenses from the Legacy-DH segment in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB117 million, which represented 9.1% of revenue, compared to RMB112 million or 9.5% of DH revenue in the third quarter of 2023, and RMB124 million or 9.4% for the previous quarter.

General and administrative expenses in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB672 million (US$96 million), compared to RMB539 million in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB602 million in the previous quarter. General and administrative expenses from the Legacy-Huazhu segment in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB457 million, which represented 8.9% of this quarter’s Huazhu revenue, compared to RMB417 million or 8.2% of Huazhu revenue in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB483 million or 10.0% of Huazhu revenue in the previous quarter. The year-over-year expense increase was mainly due to rising headcount as well as an increase in share-based compensation to attract and retain core employees who are key to our sustainable long-term business growth. General and administrative expenses from the Legacy-DH segment in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB215 million, which represented 16.8% of DH revenue, compared to RMB122 million or 10.4% of DH revenue in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB119 million or 9.0% in the previous quarter. The year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter DH expense increase was primarily due to one-off DH restructuring costs of RMB81 million.

Pre-opening expenses in the third quarter of 2024 were primarily related to the Legacy-Huazhu segment and totaled RMB19 million (US$3 million), compared to RMB11 million in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB19 million in the previous quarter.

Other operating income, net in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB85 million (US$12 million), compared to RMB80 million in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB99 million in the previous quarter.

Income from operations in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB1.7 billion (US$245 million), compared RMB1.9 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB1.6 billion in the previous quarter. Income from operations from the Legacy-Huazhu segment in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB1.8 billion, compared to RMB1.9 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB1.5 billion in the previous quarter. After the one-off restructuring costs of RMB81 million mentioned above, Legacy-DH segment had a loss from operations of RMB40 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to income of RMB3 million in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB73 million in the previous quarter.

Operating margin, defined as income from operations as a percentage of revenue, was 26.7% in the third quarter of 2024, compared with 30.4% in the third quarter of 2023 and 25.6% for the previous quarter. Operating margin from the Legacy-Huazhu segment in the third quarter of 2024 was 34.2%, compared with 37.3% in the third quarter of 2023 and 31.0% in the previous quarter. The year-over-year margin contraction was mainly due to the decline in hotel RevPAR from a high base last year, and the increase in share-based compensation mentioned above. Operating margin from the Legacy-DH segment in the third quarter of 2024 was a negative 3.1%, compared with a positive 0.3% in the third quarter of 2023 and a positive 5.5% in the previous quarter. The margin contraction was due primarily to the one-off restructuring costs.

Other income, net in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB1 million, compared to RMB24 million in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB24 million in the previous quarter.

Losses from fair value changes of equity securities in the third quarter of 2024 were RMB34 million (US$5 million), compared to RMB9 million in the third quarter of 2023, and RMB51 million in the previous quarter. Losses from fair value changes of equity securities mainly represent the unrealized losses from our investments in equity securities with readily determinable fair values.

Income tax expense in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB382 million (US$54 million), compared to RMB421 million in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB423 million in the previous quarter.

Net income attributable to H World Group Limited in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB1.3 billion (US$181 million), compared with RMB1.3 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB1.1 billion in the previous quarter. Net income attributable to H World Group Limited from the Legacy-Huazhu segment was RMB1.4 billion in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB1.4 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB1.0 billion in the previous quarter. Net loss attributable to H World Group Limited from the Legacy-DH segment was RMB83 million, which included RMB81 million of one-off restructuring costs, in the third quarter of 2024, compared with a net loss of RMB37 million in the third quarter of 2023 and a net income of RMB34 million in the previous quarter.

EBITDA (non-GAAP) in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB2.0 billion (US$286 million), compared with RMB2.1 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB1.9 billion in the previous quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP), which excluded share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, net foreign exchange gain (loss), and gain (loss) on disposal of investments from EBITDA (non-GAAP), was RMB2.1 billion (US$300 million) in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB2.3 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB2.0 billion in the previous quarter. Adjusted EBITDA from the Legacy-Huazhu segment, which is a segment measure, was RMB2.1 billion in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB2.3 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB1.9 billion in the previous quarter. Adjusted EBITDA from the Legacy-DH segment, which is a segment measure, was RMB21 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared with RMB73 million in the third quarter of 2023 and RMB131 million in the previous quarter.

To better reflect the profitability of our core business, we have redefined the non-GAAP measure of adjusted EBITDA, and therefore the above adjusted EBITDA for the third quarter of 2023 has been restated.

Cash flow. Operating cash inflow in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB1.7 billion (US$242 million). Investing cash inflow in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB166 million (US$23 million). Financing cash outflow in the third quarter of 2024 was RMB2.1 billion (US$300 million), including RMB1.4 billion of dividends paid.

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had a total balance of cash and cash equivalents of RMB7.2 billion (US$1.0 billion) and restricted cash of RMB693 million (US$98 million).

Debt financing. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had a total debt and net cash balance of RMB5.4 billion (US$769 million) and RMB2.5 billion (US$362 million), respectively; the unutilized credit facility available to the Company was RMB3.6 billion.

Guidance
For the fourth quarter of 2024, H World expects its revenue growth to be in the range of 1%-5% compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, and also in the range of 1%-5% excluding DH.

The above forecast reflects the Company’s current and preliminary view, which is subject to change.

Conference Call
H World’s management will host a conference call at 8 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 (9 a.m. Hong Kong time on Wednesday, November 27, 2024) following the announcement.

To join by phone, all participants must pre-register this conference call using the Participant Registration link of https://register.vevent.com/register/BI7e6f2fa9b90d4da380448e7718662186. Upon registration, each participant will receive details for the conference call, including dial-in numbers, conference call passcode and a unique access PIN.

A live webcast of the call can be accessed at https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/fk25qthx or the Company’s website at https://ir.hworld.com/news-and-events/events-calendar.

A replay of the conference call will be available for twelve months from the date of the conference at the Company’s website, https://ir.hworld.com/news-and-events/events-calendar.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement the Company’s unaudited consolidated financial results presented in accordance with U.S. Generally-Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), the Company uses the following non-GAAP measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”): adjusted net income (loss) attributable to H World Group Limited excluding share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, foreign exchange gain (loss), net and gain (loss) on disposal of investments; adjusted basic and diluted earnings (losses) per share/ADS excluding share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, foreign exchange gain (loss), net and gain (loss) on disposal of investments; EBITDA; adjusted EBITDA excluding share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, foreign exchange gain (loss), net and gain (loss) on disposal of investments. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned “Unaudited Reconciliations of GAAP and non-GAAP Results” set forth at the end of this release. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding Company performance by excluding share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, foreign exchange gain (loss), net and gain (loss) on disposal of investments that may not be indicative of Company operating performance. The Company believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing Company performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management’s internal comparisons to the Company’s historical performance. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures are also useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used regularly by Company management in financial and operational decision-making. A limitation of using non-GAAP financial measures excluding share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, foreign exchange gain (loss), net and gain (loss) on disposal of investments is that share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, foreign exchange gain (loss), net and gain (loss) on disposal of investments have been and may continue to be significant and recurring in the Company’s business. Management compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP measure. The accompanying tables have more details on the reconciliations between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures.

The Company believes that EBITDA is a useful financial metric to assess the operating and financial performance before the impact of investing and financing transactions and income taxes, given the significant investments that the Company has made in leasehold improvements, depreciation and amortization expense that comprise a significant portion of the Company’s cost structure. In addition, the Company believes that EBITDA is widely used by other companies in the lodging industry and may be used by investors as a measure of financial performance. The Company believes that EBITDA information provides investors with a useful tool for comparability between periods because it excludes depreciation and amortization expense attributable to capital expenditures. The Company also uses adjusted EBITDA to assess operating results of its hotels in operation. The Company believes that the exclusion of share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, foreign exchange gain (loss), net and gain (loss) on disposal of investments helps facilitate year-over-year comparisons of the results of operations as the share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, foreign exchange gain (loss), net and gain (loss) on disposal of investments may not be indicative of Company operating performance.

Therefore, the Company believes adjusted EBITDA more closely reflects the financial performance capability of our hotels. The presentation of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an indication that the Company’s future results will be unaffected by other charges and gains considered to be outside the ordinary course of business.

The use of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA has certain limitations. Depreciation and amortization expense for various long-term assets (including land use rights), income tax, interest expense and interest income have been and will be incurred and are not reflected in the presentation of EBITDA. Share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, foreign exchange gain (loss), net and gain (loss) on disposal of investments have been and will be incurred and are not reflected in the presentation of adjusted EBITDA. Each of these items should also be considered in the overall evaluation of the results. The Company compensates for these limitations by providing the relevant disclosure of depreciation and amortization, interest income, interest expense, income tax expense, share-based compensation expenses, gain (loss) from fair value changes of equity securities, foreign exchange gain (loss), net and gain (loss) on disposal of investments all in the reconciliations to the U.S. GAAP financial measures and in the consolidated financial statements, all of which should be considered when evaluating the performance of the Company.

The terms EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are not defined under U.S. GAAP, and neither EBITDA nor adjusted EBITDA is a measure of net income, operating income, operating performance or liquidity presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. When assessing the operating and financial performance, investors should not consider these data in isolation or as a substitute for the Company’s net income, operating income or any other operating performance measure that is calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In addition, the Company’s EBITDA or adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to EBITDA or adjusted EBITDA or similarly titled measures utilized by other companies since such other companies may not calculate EBITDA or adjusted EBITDA in the same manner as the Company does.

Reconciliations of the Company’s non-GAAP financial measures, including EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, to the consolidated statement of operations information are included at the end of this press release.

About H World Group Limited
Originated in China, H World Group Limited is a key player in the global hotel industry. As of September 30, 2024, H World operated 10,845 hotels with 1,062,546 rooms in operation in 18 countries. H World’s brands include Hi Inn, Elan Hotel, HanTing Hotel, JI Hotel, Starway Hotel, Orange Hotel, Crystal Orange Hotel, Manxin Hotel, Madison Hotel, Joya Hotel, Blossom House, Ni Hao Hotel, CitiGO Hotel, Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts, MAXX, Jaz in the City, IntercityHotel, Zleep Hotels, Steigenberger Icon and Song Hotels. In addition, H World also has the rights as master franchisee for Mercure, Ibis and Ibis Styles, and co-development rights for Grand Mercure and Novotel, in the pan-China region.

H World’s business includes leased and owned, manachised and franchised models. Under the lease and ownership model, H World directly operates hotels typically located on leased or owned properties. Under the manachise model, H World manages manachised hotels through the on-site hotel managers that H World appoints, and H World collects fees from franchisees. Under the franchise model, H World provides training, reservations and support services to the franchised hotels, and collects fees from franchisees but does not appoint on-site hotel managers. H World applies a consistent standard and platform across all of its hotels. As of September 30, 2024, H World operated 9 percent of its hotel rooms under the lease and ownership model, and 91 percent under the manachise and franchise model.

For more information, please visit H World’s website: https://ir.hworld.com.

Safe Harbor Statement Under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The information in this release contains forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties. Such factors and risks include our anticipated growth strategies; our future results of operations and financial condition; economic conditions; the regulatory environment; our ability to attract and retain customers and leverage our brands; trends and competition in the lodging industry; the expected growth of demand for lodging; and other factors and risks detailed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, which may be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “forecast,” “project” or “continue,” the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. Readers should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events or results.

H World undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law.

—Financial Tables and Operational Data—

Operating Results: Legacy-Huazhu⁽¹⁾

Operating Results: Legacy-DH⁽³⁾

Hotel Portfolio by Brand

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¹ Hotel turnover refers to total transaction value of room and non-room revenue from H World hotels (i.e., leased and operated, manachised and franchised hotels).
² The conversion of Renminbi (“RMB”) into United States dollars (“US$”) is based on the exchange rate of US$1.00=RMB7.0176 on September 30, 2024, as set forth in H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and available at http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h10/hist/dat00_ch.htm.
³ The conversion of Renminbi (“RMB”) into United States dollars (“US$”) is based on the exchange rate of US$1.00=RMB7.0176 on September 30, 2024, as set forth in H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and available at http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h10/hist/dat00_ch.htm.

Contact Information
Investor Relations
Tel: +86 (21) 6195 9561
Email: ir@hworld.com 
https://ir.hworld.com