L.A. County Hotel Occupancy Up Slightly

Hotel occupancy in Los Angeles County rose slightly in November over a year ago in a signal that the region continues to be a strong attraction for tourists, both business and leisure, the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau reported. Occupancy was up 1.2% over November 1997 even as average hotel room costs per night jumped 7.4% to $108.07. Last month’s occupancy and room rate increases underscored similar year-to-date trends in both categories. Occupancy through November has basically kept pace with last year’s numbers, with a 0.5% rise, while room rates have jumped nearly 9% to $108.26. Meanwhile, Orange County continued to see soft occupancy rates in November, largely because of ongoing construction in Anaheim, the area’s primary tourist destination. Occupancy fell 1.6% over last year while the average room rate grew 6.6% to $102.78. Occupancy was down nearly 5% through the first 11 months of the year, and the average room rate rose 7.5% to $102.19.