As the summer tourism season swings into high gear across the state, average hotel-room rates and occupancy rates continue to climb, according to the Rocky Mountain Lodging Report released Monday.
“All indications are that things are going to be strong this summer,” said Robert Benton, principal of Robert S. Benton & Associates and author of the report.
In the first five months of the year, statewide occupancy rates were 56.5 percent, up 2.3 percentage points compared with the same time period last year. Room rates rose $8.47 to an average of $108.03.
In the seven-county metro area, occupancy rates rose 2.4 points, to 59.6 percent, for the first five months. The average room rate was $87.87, up $6.47.
“We’ve seen a fairly significant increase in average daily rates, which is in part operators trying to recover some of the lost revenue that we’ve seen in the past few years,” Benton said.
For the month of May, occupancy rates rose to 63.7 percent in the Denver area, up from 60.5 percent in May 2004. Average room rates rose $7.24 to $90.95.
Statewide, occupancy rates for May rose 2.2 percentage points, to 56.1 percent. Room rates rose by $7.11, to $91.57.
Ilene Kamsler, president of the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association, said her 500-member properties are reporting an increase in advance bookings.
“People seem more willing to travel again and to make plans in advance, ” Kamsler said.
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
