UK hotels

Room rates and occupancy at UK hotels increased substantially during July, but the figures are still only slightly up on those of two years ago, consultants PKF said today.

Regional hotels saw room rates increase by 4.7% to £64.29, occupancy up by 2.3% to 77%, and revenue per available room (revpar)up by 7.1% to £49.51.

London hotels increased room rate by 12.7% to £105.77, occupancy by 2.4% to 83.1% and revpar by 15.3% to £87.89.

But PKF said the seeminly healthy increases "actually reveal only a modest rise once 2003's depressing dip in performance is corrected."

Alex Clarke, hotel consultancy services consultant at PKF, said: "Whilst hoteliers have made up the substantial losses reported this time last year, especially in London, the gains they've made beyond this are relatively modest."

Buy this week's Caterer magazine for more industry news and analysis