London hotels top European rankings

London hotels were the most heavily used in Europe last year, according to a survey by business consultants Arthur Andersen.

The Hotel Industry Benchmark Survey 1997 shows the sample of hotels in London with an average bedroom occupancy of 84.3% in 1996, against 83.7% in 1995. The next-best performing city in the survey was Rome, which had an occupancy of 82.5%.

The success of London hoteliers in filling their rooms has not resulted in the best yields, however. This honour goes to the Italian capital, where average yield nudged London off the top spot.

The yield in the sample of Rome hotels was up by 22.5% in 1996, compared with a rise of 18.4% for London. The best-performing hotels for yield in 1995 were in Geneva, but in 1996 they slumped by 4.5%.

The 400 hotels in the UK sample show an average yield growth of 8.5%. Average room rates grew by 13%, more than three times the rate of inflation.

The best performing hotels in the UK were at Heathrow, where bedroom occupancy was 88.3%. The strongest growth was in Swansea, occupancy rising from 65.9% to 71.7%.

Arthur Andersen predicts that the buoyant conditions will continue into 1998.

The Hotel Industry Benchmark Survey 1997 costs £750. Contact Julia Felton at Arthur Andersen on: 0171-304 1785.