Hotel occupancy and average room rates in metro Denver and Colorado improved last year compared with 2004, according to an annual tally released Monday by the Rocky Mountain Lodging Report.
In the metro area, occupancy rates rose by 2.2 percentage points, to 64.1 percent, and average room rates jumped $6.68, to $91.10. Statewide, occupancy rates rose by 2.2 percentage points, to 59.9 percent, while room rates increased $8.71, to $105.36.
“We definitely saw improvement last year,” said Robert Benton, publisher of the report. “The real growth has been in average room rate.
“There was quite a drop-off after 2000, but the hotels have finally been able to push rates back up.”
In December, traditionally slow for business and convention travel, metro-area occupancy rates dropped 0.5 percentage points, to 46.5 percent. But average room rates increased $4.62, to $84.28.
Statewide, occupancy rates were up by 0.5 percentage points, to 46.8 percent. Average room rates jumped $13.58, to $127.03.
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
