Average room occupancy at London chain hotels stayed above 80% in April thanks to strong leisure demand, a new study shows.
The Easter holidays helped contribute to high occupancy of 80.4% in the capital, according to the latest HotStats survey by TRI Hospitality Consulting.
The figure matched Easter last year and exceeded the 77.6% level reported in April 2007.
Room occupancy in the UK regions was 67.3% last month, matching levels achieved for the Easter of March 2008.
But a drop in business travel led to the average room rate in London declining by more than ten per cent to £106.17 and by 11% in the provinces to £67.01.
TRI said the recession appeared to be having a greater impact on hotels outside London in the first four months of the year.
Revenue per available room was down by 10.8% in the capital but 13.1% down in the regions.
TRI Hospitality Consulting managing director Jonathan Langston said: “Easter is historically a quieter time for branded chain hotels because there are fewer business guests.
“This year, however, as hoteliers reacted to the downturn in corporate demand, discounted leisure deals kept overall occupancy levels high.”
by Phil Davies
