THE hotel sectors in Aberdeen and Glasgow enjoyed strong year-on-year growth in revenues in February, the latest monthly figures have shown.
Accountancy firm BDO's latest monthly survey showed overall revenue per available room for hotels in Aberdeen in February was up 12.4 per cent on the same month of last year at £70.63. This measure, also known as rooms yield, is calculated by multiplying occupancy by the average room rate achieved.
The rooms yield figure for Aberdeen remains the highest in the UK outside London, by a long way, according to the BDO survey of three and four-star properties. Strength of the oil and gas sector has been cited by BDO as the reason for the consistent buoyancy of the Aberdeen hotel sector in recent times.
The year-on-year jump in rooms yield for Aberdeen hotels was achieved even though occupancy in February, at 75.7 per cent, was down from 77.6 per cent in the same month of 2013, with room rates surging.
Hotels in Glasgow achieved a rooms yield figure of £45.21 in February, up by 13.5 per cent on the same month of last year.
The hotel sector in Scotland achieved overall revenue per available room of £45.65 in February - up by 11.1 per cent on the same month of 2013.
In England, excluding London, rooms yield in February was up by 10.5 per cent year-on-year at £39.93. In the UK as a whole, outside London, rooms yield in February was up 10.7 per cent year-on-year at £40.63.
The occupancy rate in the Scottish hotel sector in February came in at 70.3 per cent, up from 67.3 per cent in the same month of last year.
In Glasgow, occupancy was 76 per cent in February, up from 71.1 per cent in the same month of 2013.
Hotels in Edinburgh achieved a 6.9 per cent year-on-year rise in rooms yield, to £46.80, in February. In the Inverness hotel sector, revenue per available room in February was up by 5.1 per cent on the same month of last year at £32.82.
BDO partner Alastair Rae said: "These are very positive figures for February as both occupancy and, crucially, revenue numbers are up.
"The whole of the UK experienced double-digit [percentage] revenue growth but, with Scotland starting from a higher base figure, the increase is really quite impressive for a time of year which can be relatively quiet."
He added: "The hospitality sector is reflecting the upturn in the wider economy and, as confidence increases in the corporate and leisure markets, so spending on hospitality is increasing."
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