April 30 (Reuters) - Real estate investment trust Host

Hotels & Resorts ( HST ) reported first-quarter adjusted funds

from operations (FFO) above analysts' expectations on Wednesday,

driven by higher pricing and a recovery in Maui.

Shares of the company were up 1.9% in extended trading.

Strong pricing for food items, beverages and hotel services

helped the company's results which had been dragged by slowing

Maui demand throughout last year.

Tourism in Maui declined following the wildfires in August

2023, as visitors were hesitant to return. However, in the first

quarter the company observed improving leisure trends in Maui,

indicating a rebound in travel demand, CEO James Risoleo said in

a statement.

Food and beverage revenues were up 6%, while revenues from

other ancillary items, which include spa and entertainment

services, rose 5.3% compared to last year.

The Bethesda, Maryland-based REIT reported a quarterly

adjusted FFO of $0.64 per share, compared with analysts'

estimates of $0.56 per share.

It now expects a full-year adjusted FFO between $1.88 and

$1.97 per share, compared with the previous range of $1.82 to

$1.91 per share.

Total revenue for the quarter ended March 31 was $1.59

billion, up 8.4% from a year earlier. On average, analysts were

expecting revenue of $1.55 billion, according to data compiled

by LSEG.