Decline Seen in Downtown L.A. Hotel Occupancy

Hotel occupancy in downtown Los Angeles may drop by as much as 2% from 1987, partly because of less travel by members of the financial community, according to New York-based hotel economist Stephen W. Brener.

However, Los Angeles-area submarkets could experience anything from an increase in occupancy of more than 2% to drops of as much as 5%--and in some submarkets, a room-rate increase of about 7%, Brenner said.