Poor millennium holds back QMH

Slow trading during the long millennium break held back sales growth at Queens Moat Houses (QMH), the hotel group said today.

Room yield increased by 1.2% to £42.66 during 1999 at the company's 44 UK hotels. Occupancy and average room rate were both up slightly, at 73.8% and £57.79.

But total revenue in UK hotels was down by 1.5%.

"The division showed recovering revenue growth through much of the second half, but reported growth was reduced by unseasonally weak trading during the long millennium break and an additional trading week in the comparative 1998 financial year," QMH said in a trading statement.

The group reported "good growth" in its businesses in Germany and the Netherlands.

In Germany, where QMH has 26 hotels, room yield was up by 5.6% and total revenue up by 4.2%. Occupancy was 65.9%.

Its 22 Bilderberg hotels in the Netherlands showed room yield growth of 6.4% and total revenue growth of 5.2%.

Occupancy in the Netherlands was 65.2%.