Smith Travel Research is out with another look at the U.S. hotel industry. They reported decreases in all three key measurements during February 2010. The occupancy rates are hovering just over 50 percent. Average daily room rates are now well under $100 at US$97.12. Those factors add up to a revenue per available room number of only $52.19.
The American hotel industry has economically suffered again during the first week of January. This decrease in occupancy, hotel rates and revenues shows a continuing slide in tourism spending.
The hotel industry is suffering through the economic downturn just as the airlines are, but the weeping and wailing coming from hoteliers is nowhere as shrill as that heard from the airlines. Perhaps it should be. The Smith Travel Research hotel data doesn’t show any sort of recovery in the hotel sector.