European Hotel Sector "Independent Audit Report Analysis - European..."

Research evidence excerpt

European Hotel Sector "Independent Audit Report Analysis - European..."

Global Research

20 July 2026ab

European Hotel Sector Equities

Europe including UKIndependent Audit Report Analysis - European

Hotels Lodging

Jarrod Castle, CFA

Analyst

jarrod.castle@ubs.com

We discuss potential risks as noted in the audit reports for European Hotels +44-20-7568 8883

Reviewing the major European hotel groups through the key audit matters (KAMs) Artem Prokopets

disclosed in their audit reports, we identify key areas of accounting judgment relevant to Analyst

evaluating reported performance. Our analysis covers KAMs from 2020 to 2025 and artem.prokopets@ubs.com

outlines the main audit risks highlighted across our European hotels coverage. Over the +44-20-7901 5625

period, recurring KAMs primarily reflect standard business-model features, including Ben Shelley, ACA

hotel asset valuation, impairment testing, loyalty programme revenue recognition and Analyst

deferred tax recoverability, as well as non-recurring matters such as acquisition ben.shelley@ubs.com

accounting and expansion-related impairments. From 2020 to 2022, disclosures also +44-20-7568 3957

reflected pandemic-driven pressures, including liquidity, covenant compliance, going Robin M. Farley

concern, Covid-related impairments and government grants, which we regard as Covid- Analyst

era risks rather than ongoing concerns. robin.farley@ubs.com

+1-212-713 2060

Early 2020s debate around credit/Covid-19 now shifted

We note that although Whitbread’s current KAM centers on its Accelerating Growth

Plan (AGP) and its extension, the emphasis may move to broader property, plant and

equipment (PPE) and right-of-use (ROU) asset impairment after implementation. We