Orlando area hotel occupancy in January was the highest for 16 years, according to the latest data from hospitality analysts Smith Travel Research.
Orlando hotels filled 72.7% of rooms during the month, boosted by strong attendance at theme parks and large-scale events at the Orange County Convention Center such the Home & Garden Show and the PGA Show.
This was the highest January occupancy since 1998.
Hotel rates also jumped 5% compared to January last year to an average daily rate of $110.21.
Bad weather also likely boosted visitation, with winter weary travelers heading south to escape the cold.
On top of this, Orlando Airport suffered several days of knock-on flight cancelations, trapping vacationers in Orlando for longer when northbound flights were scrapped.
Most notably, the statistics showed big gains for the budget hotel market, recording a 21.5% jump in revenue per available room.
