December was a bumper month for hoteliers, says new BDO report

Hoteliers across the UK had a bumper December amid double digit growth in rooms yield, according to new preliminary figures from business advisory firm BDO.

Hotels outside London also had a good festive period, seeing a 5.4% rise in occupancy to 66.7%, a rise of 8.1% to £54.97 for average room rate, and an increase in rooms yield of 13.9% to £36.64.

The good results were attributed to an unusually dry December, and improved levels of consumer confidence within the tourism and hotels sector, which have been found in numerous studies including one by tourist board Visit Britain and findings from property specialists Christie + Co, released today.

BDO hotel trends survey mainly 3 and 4-star hotels across the country, focusing slightly more on chain groups rather than independent operators, and predominance on hotels in cities.
Robert Barnard, partner at BDO, commented on the figures, explaining that falling energy and petrol prices had also helped keep inflation low, and therefore played a part in the good numbers.

He said: "December can traditionally be a quiet month for hotels as corporate travel dies down, the UK receives fewer overseas visitors and hotel stays are generally combined with shopping trips, family visits and post-Christmas party convenience. It's therefore encouraging to see strong figures for December this year.

He added that the trend looked set to continue, saying: "People are more confident with their personal finances, resulting in increased spend on travel and tourism…Hotel owners in London and in the regions can expect a bright outlook for 2015."

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