O.C. Hotels Booking More Rooms--but at Lower Rates

Orange County hotels rented more rooms in August than during the same month last year, but they did so at a cost: Prices were lower, according to figures released Friday by PKF Consulting.

Hoteliers brought in more business by offering discounts that drew not only vacationers but more business travelers. Hotels around John Wayne Airport posted the highest occupancy rates, according to PKF, a Los Angeles research and consulting firm for the hotel industry.

Countywide, the occupancy rate--the percent of a hotel’s rooms that are rented--rose to 78.9% from 77.4% for August of last year. The average room rate declined slightly to $77.25 from $77.42 over the same period.

The gain was biggest in the Anaheim area, the heart of the county’s tourism industry, rising to 81.5% from 79.5% for the same month last year. The average room rate fell there as well, though, to $79.56 from $80.63.

Bill O’Connell, general manager of four Stovall Best Western motels near Disneyland, said that many tourists, apparently thinking that the area would be crowded with World Cup soccer fans, stayed away until the games ended.

“As soon as the World Cup was over July 17, business started to get good,” he said. “We’re very optimistic. We think the balance of the year is going to be good and that next year will be good.”

Hotels around John Wayne Airport showed gains, too, with an occupancy rate of 74.6% for August, up from 73.5% a year earlier. The average cost in that area rose too, to $70.84 a night from $69.95.

“That is largely business travelers, which is a positive sign” for the local economy, said Melissa Mills, a researcher for PKF.

South Orange County, primarily the beach resorts from Laguna Beach south, and northern Orange County reported little change in occupancy rates or room fees for August.

Occupancy Rate Steady

Orange County hotels booked more guests in August than for the same month last year. Occupancy in the county’s southern and northern portions remained about the same, while the Anaheim and John Wayne Airport areas showed modest gains. Occupancy and average room rates for August:

Occupancy rate:

1993 1994 Change Anaheim 79.5% 81.5% 2.0 Airport area 73.5 74.6 1.1 South County 79.6 79.6 0.0 North County 72.6 72.2 -0.4 Countywide 77.4 78.9 1.5

*Average room rate:

1993 1994 Change Anaheim $80.63 $79.56 -$1.07 Airport area 69.95 70.84 .89 South County 100.61 101.64 1.03 North County 58.67 61.26 2.59 Countywide $77.42 $77.25 -0.17

Source: PKF Consulting; Researched by JANICE L. JONES / Los Angeles Times