It would be an overstatement to say that the U.S. lodging industry is on a roll given the uneven pace of recovery across product segments and individual markets, but the sector has climbed out of a big hole. Room demand rose 7.7% in 2010, after contracting 6.1% in 2009 and 2.5% in 2008, according to PKF Hospitality Research.

The outlook remains positive. Room demand is forecast by PKF to rise 4% this year, while revenue per available room (RevPAR) is projected to climb 7.1%.

“The improved business environment, combined with the two percent reduction in the payroll tax, will put more people on the road for both personal and professional travel,” says Mark Woodworth, president of PKF Hospitality Research.

According to Moody’s Analytics, U.S. employment and real personal income are expected to rise 1.7% and 4%, respectively, in 2011.

Against that backdrop nearly 800 industry professionals — including lenders, developers, brokers and managers — descended on the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta earlier this month. They gathered to network and attend panel sessions at the 23rd annual Hunter Hotel Investment Conference. The topics ranged from the overall lending climate for hotels to the level of distress in the marketplace today to the importance of going green. What follows are some of the more memorable sound bites from the conference:

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