L.A. Hotel Occupancy Strong in August

Los Angeles County hotel occupancy remained strong in August as the region continued to host a high volume of leisure and business travelers, spurred by both a healthy domestic economy and improving economic conditions abroad, tourism officials said. Occupancy reached nearly 80% of capacity at county hotels, up 2 percentage points from a year ago, according to PKF Consulting, a San Francisco-based firm that tracks the hospitality industry.

January-through-August occupancy stood at 75%. Numbers for August are typically higher because it is a vacation month, said Michael Collins of the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau. Much of August’s occupancy growth, Collins said, came from higher numbers of European and Asian visitors. In a further sign that travel demand for Los Angeles remains high, Collins noted that August occupancy grew despite a 5% average increase in hotel room rates to $114.11 from $108.73 last year. Average year-to-date room rates have risen by 4% without hurting occupancy.