Lodging industry executives have every reason to be positive this year.

The U.S. hotel industry this year is expected to report a 4.2 percent rise in average daily rate to $115, a 5.7 percent gain in revenue per available room (known as RevPAR, a key measure of profitability) and a 1.4 percent increase in occupancy to 63.1 percent, according to Smith Travel Research, which tracks industry performance.

Speaking last month at the 36^th Annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference in New York, STR president & Chief Operating Officer Amanda Hite described the industry’s projected growth in 2014 as “robust” and discounted fears that supply growth will now accelerate to the point where it outweighs demand growth. STR forecasts that U.S. lodging demand will increase 2.6 percent this year, while supply is expected to grow by only 1.2 percent.

M&R Hotel Management shares STR’s optimism. Our hotels are mostly in the midscale and upper-midscale industry segments. These segments are among the most popular with consumers, especially value-conscious business travelers and families attracted to the complimentary Wi-Fi, breakfast and shuttle service many of our hotels offer.

M&R benefits from operating hotels in the thriving New York market, which has seen record demand from leisure and business travelers, both domestic and international. The city had a record 54.3 million visitors last year of which 11.4 were international, according to NYC & Co., the city’s tourism development arm. This year, the number of visitors is expected to hit 55 million.

Granted, the lodging industry is notorious for being cyclical, and the 2008-2009 downturn was one of the most severe many industry veterans had seen. But all signs suggest we’re back – or close to back – to pre-recession performance levels and that we only at at midcycle, which means we have a good chance of having three to five more good years ahead.