February hotel rates
increased in the Americas and Asia/Pacific region increased versus a year
earlier but decreased in Europe and the Middle East/Africa region, according to
STR Global. Rates in the Americas were up 3.8 percent, including significant
hikes in Rio de Janeiro (50.6 percent), San Francisco (16.1 percent), São Paulo (15.8 percent) and Santiago (10 percent).
Occupancy in the Americas increased by 3.1 percent to 57.7 percent.
Within the United States,
rates were up 4 percent, and occupancy increased 3.5 percent to 57.4 percent. Other
than San Francisco, rates rose most in New Orleans (14.5
percent). Dallas had the largest rate drop at 15.9 percent.
In Asia/Pacific, rates
increased by 2.8 percent, and occupancy increased by 3.6 percent to 66.5
percent. The largest rate increases occurred in Jakarta (19.7 percent) and
Taipei (18.6 percent), while rates dropped by 10.8 percent in New Delhi.
February rates in Europe decreased
by 1.9 percent in terms of U.S. dollars while occupancy remained nearly flat at
58 percent. In euros, Tallinn, Estonia, had the largest rate increase (11.4
percent); the largest declines were in Reykjavik (down 15.2 percent) and
Istanbul (down 10.2 percent).
Although February occupancy
in the Middle East and Africa increased by 13.3 percent to 62.6 percent—thanks
to favorable comparisons with last year's Arab Spring—rates decreased by 6.8
percent. Some cities in the region had moderate rate increases, including
Beirut (7.7 percent) and Dubai (5 percent). Others had significant drops,
including Cairo (down 31.3 percent) and Abu Dhabi (down 20.1 percent).