Metro Manila hotel occupancy rises by 6.7%

Hotel occupancy in Metro Manila rose to 6.70 percent during the past seven months. The average occupancy rate increased to 60.55 percent from the 56.75 percent level during the same period last year under the de luxe, first-class and standard classifications.

Apparently, the increase in the hotel occupancy this year showed a sign of improvement in the hotel industry after recovering from the heavy slump in 2001.

Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon is seeing a brighter future for the hotel industry with the coming of more tourists and balikbayans in the next quarter of the year in time for the Christmas season. The hotel industry is expected to benefit from the continuous increase in visitors arrival this year.

According to the latest survey of the Research and Statistics Office of the Department of Tourism (DoT), the de luxe, first-class and the standard hotel classifications registered increases in occupancy. However, the 2.64 average stay of guests is slightly shorter this year than the previous 2.79 nights spent by the guests from the period January to July last year.

The de luxe hotel classification registered the highest increase in the occupancy rate in January to July this year with 8.66 percent. The seven month period recorded a 64.40 percent occupancy rate which is higher than the previous 59.27 percent record, DoT said.

Among the de luxe hotel classification, the Mandarin Oriental Manila has the highest occupancy rate of 86 percent for the month of July this year. It is 1.18 percent higher than last year’s 85 percent in the month of July. The other de luxe hotels which obtained bigger increase are Intercontinental Manila with 81.69 percent; and the Makati Shangri-La Manila which likewise registered the highest growth of 105.44 percent during the same period last year.

The first-class hotels also improved from 50.87 percent in 2001 to 54.55 percent this year with a registered increase of 7.23 percent in occupancy rate. The Linden Suites has the highest occupancy rate of 70.39 percent among the first-class hotels. This was followed by Manila Midtown Hotel, 65 percent; Great Eastern Hotel, 57.92 percent while, Richmonde Hotel and the Traders Hotel Manila got 57 percent occupancy.

Likewise, the occupancy rate for standard-class hotels increased by 6.94 percent. This year it rose to 56.85 percent from the 53.16 percent level in 2001. However, the 2.58 average night stay of guests this year was 8.83 percent shorter than the 2.83 night stay of guests last year.

The Kabayan Hotel with a 91.00 percent occupancy rate continue to register the highest record among the 31 standard hotels that submitted occupancy. This was followed by Herald Suites and Best Western Hotel La Corona with 86 percent and 82.50 percent occupancy, respectively, DoT source said.