London room sales hold firm

London hotels achieved average occupancy of 80.6% during March, according to the latest figures from consultancy Arthur Andersen. The figure was the same as that for March 1998.

But taken over the first three months of the year as a whole, room occupancy in London was down 2.1% on last year, at 75.2%. Average room rates in the first quarter were static at £102.66.

Release of the figures coincided with publication of Arthur Andersen's Hotel Industry Benchmark Survey giving details of how London hotels performed during 1998.

Average occupancy last year was almost 83%, the survey says, and average room rate was up 6.4% to £111.40. More than 2,700 new hotel rooms came on to the London market in 1998 and a further 3,700 are expected this year.

But the firm's Nick van Marken said: "The recent additions to supply are in part responding to the acknowledged shortfall in hotel rooms in the city and should not affect the long-term performance of the London hotel market."