U.S. hotel occupancy in February was 55.7 percent, up 5.2
percent compared with February 2010, and the average daily rate increased 2.5
percent year over year to $98.95, according to hospitality research firm STR.
Revenue per available room in February increased 7.9 percent. Meanwhile,
February hotel rates increased in other regions, most sharply in Asia/Pacific, the
Middle East and Africa.
The largest U.S. rate increase—excluding Dallas, which
during the month hosted the Super Bowl—occurred in San Francisco (up 15.3
percent). Rates also increased by almost 15 percent in Los Angeles. Miami
experienced the largest rate decrease (down 8.5 percent).
The average daily rate in the Americas was up 1.9 percent
year over year, and occupancy increased by 5.1 percent to 56.2 percent. The rate
increase was highest in São Paulo (up 30.4 percent).
In Europe, all sub-regions experienced higher occupancies
and rates than February 2010, according to STR Global managing director
Elizabeth Randall. Geneva, Düsseldorf, Zurich and Istanbul had rate increases
higher than 20 percent.
The average daily rate in the Asia/Pacific region jumped
13.9 percent, and occupancy increased by 3.3 percent to 63.5 percent. The
largest rate increase occurred in Hong Kong, up 23.5 percent compared with
February 2010. New Delhi was the only city in the region covered by STR's
report to see a slight decrease in rates.
The Middle East/Africa region during the month had the largest
average daily rate increase of any, at 17.1 percent, but occupancy dropped 12.6
percent, largely due to the social and political unrest, particularly Egypt—where
occupancy dropped to only 15.9 percent—and Lebanon. At the same time, Cairo was
one of only two cities to see a double-digit increase in rates (up 24.8 percent).
Cape Town, where rates increased by 13.6 percent, was the other. Beirut
experienced the largest rate decrease at 22.7 percent.