This study investigates the performance of hotel common stocks relative to specific market indices and assess whether or not historic Beta was an appropriate measurement of future risk for hotel stocks in the market downturn of 2008. Using three different measurements of Beta, the study finds statistically significant differences in Beta between typical and up market scenarios as compared with a down market scenario. This difference was persistent regardless of the Beta measure used. The study also identifies a statistically significant difference in Betas between hotel Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and hotel C-Corporations (C-Corps) in the down market scenario. This study identifies the significant risk taken on by investors in assuming that Betas for hotel stocks will be persistent across varying market scenarios.