US hotels have reported a slump in occupancy for the week ending July 20, continuing a tough year for the sector.
Overall US properties reported a 72.2% occupancy for the week, down 2.7% on the same period a year ago.
“The figures are not a disaster, but the trend is poor for hotels,” said one industry expert. “In the wake of September 11, it is still a tough time to be a hotelier.”
Chains representing every price category reported a drop in occupancy compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile the average daily room rate and room revenue were also down for the week. The average daily cost for a room was $83.08 for the week, down 2.7% from a year ago, while revenue per available room was down 5.3% to $59.99.
