Hotel Occupancy and Room Rates on the Rise

Room rates and occupancy levels at Orange County hotels continued their upward climb in February, signaling a strong off-season for Southland tourism.

On average, nearly 77% of the county’s hotel rooms were filled with vacationers and business travelers in February, up from about 73% in February 1996, according to a report by PKF Consulting, a Los Angeles-based hospitality consulting firm.

The strong demand in recent months is translating into higher room rates. Visitors paid an average of $90.86 to spend the night in Orange County in February. That’s up 9.5% over the same month a year ago.

In Anaheim, the county’s largest hotel market, February occupancy matched the countywide average, up from 73.4% in February 1996. Likewise, the average room rate in Anaheim reached $95.28 in February, up 7.4% from the same period a year ago.