Winter woes for hoteliers?

The winter chill could cause a freeze in visitor figures in the run up to Christmas, according to hotel consultancy firm PKF.

Room occupancy outside London in October rose by 2%, while the rate within the capital fell by 0.9%.

Robert Barnard, partner for hotel consultancy services at PKF warned hoteliers that the current cold spell could lead to troubled times for the travel trade, but added that the market was currently holding steady with business users likely to be undeterred by the weather.

"Those visiting for leisure may be more likely to take the climate into account," he said. "Hoteliers will be watching their average room rates if it does transpire that they need to tempt guests to our chilly climes this month!"

by Jen Crothers

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