Momentum continues for Yorkshire hotels

THE YORKSHIRE hotel industry has seen a strong start to 2015 with increased occupancy rates and room revenue while other regions see a slow start.

Occupancy levels across the region increased 4.5%, with hotels in Harrogate, Leeds and Sheffield seeing increased capacity, according to figures from accountancy firm BDO.

Leeds was the best performing city in the region, surpassing regional averages in room revenue by 15%.

However, despite high profile hotels in York such as The Grand Hotel and Spa, Yorkshire;s only 5 star hotel, the city’s hotels as a whole faltered compared to the rest of the region.

The city saw a 4.6% decline in occupancy, but still stood above the UK national average by 0.5%.

Average achieved room rate was up 5.1% to £52.74, while revenue per available room climbed nearly 10%.

However BDO also found that in other areas, Yorkshire hotels were underperforming. The overall average for regional UK room revenue was at £40.27 for Q1, with Yorkshire coming in at £35.70.

Tom Roseff, director at BDO LLP in Yorkshire said: “A number of regions across the UK have seen an overall drop in occupancy in Q1 or have experienced an incredibly slow start to the year; while we remain on an upward trajectory.

“We may not match the regional UK average; but the large jumps in revenue in each of our cities compared with last year, are both promising and a sign of rising economic confidence.

“Our region’s hotels are absolutely on the right track for a strong 2015 and no doubt this month’s Tour de Yorkshire will have helped to boost figures for Q2.”