AMSTERDAM hotels achieved the highest occupancy in Europe last year while Paris achieved the best rooms yield, according to a European hotel survey.
The EuroCity survey, carried out by accountants Pannell Kerr Forster, found that the Dutch capital recorded 81.7% average occupancy and Paris’ average room rate went up 14.2% to £154.21 during 1998 compared to the previous year, alongside its rooms yield which rose 17.5 % to £120.32.
The 1998 World Cup, which took place in France, contributed significantly to Paris’ fortunes, according to the survey.
The study, of 29 European cities, found that overall average room occupancy was up on 1997 but that Russia’s hotel industry suffered as its currency floundered. Occupancy in St Petersburg fell by 4.8 percentage points to 57.8% while in Moscow, where hotels have a much smaller leisure element, it plummeted by 13.6 percentage points to 56%. However, average room rates grew by 15.4% in St Petersburg to £117.95 and by 4.3% to £112.74 in Moscow.
Lisbon experienced the largest year-on year growth with occupancy rates up by 12.5% to 70.2%. Average room rates leapt 26.8% to £60.39 and room yield was up by 42.7% to £42.37.