Hotels Keep Busy

The findings above seem to concur with recently released hotel occupancy rates for Los Angeles County. In September, overnight lodging was booked at 77% capacity--up slightly from the year-to-date average of 76%, according to PKF Consulting, which studies the hospitality industry.

However, the figure was down about 1.2% from occupancy rates of a year ago. Michael Collins of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau said the drop could be partly attributed to September’s 9% jump in the average price of a Los Angeles hotel room, from $99.99 to $108.61. The figure is just 42 cents higher than the average year-to-date room price, which is itself 9% higher than last year’s rate through the end of September.

Collins called the year-to-year occupancy drop modest and said the September 1998 figures indicate travel to Los Angeles County remains strong.

In Orange County, however, infrastructure construction in and around Anaheim--home of Disneyland and other attractions--continued to keep occupancy rates down in September.

Occupancy fell 8%, leaving the county’s hotels booked at 76% capacity while the average price for a room rose 8%, from $94.32 to $102.12. Year-to-date occupancy of 72% was also down from last year’s 76%.