Bath hotels have maintained their position as among the best performing in the South West as the sector begins to benefit from the economic recovery, according to a new survey.
The average rate charged for a room in hotels in and around the city rose by 3.6% to £87.33 in the three months to September compared to the same period last year, the latest report by accountancy firm BDO shows. The figure is the highest in the region.
The room yield – the amount of revenue generated by each available room – also rose by 3.6% to £64.71. While this was higher that the average increase outside London of 3.5%, Bath hotels failed to achieve the strong growth of their counterparts in Bristol and Plymouth, which racked up increases of 6.8%. 
Bath also fell behind in the average daily occupancy rate of its hotels. While the rate stayed at 74.1%, Bath overtaken by Bristol where occupancy rose by 8.2% to reach 75.2%.
Partner at BDO’s Bristol office, Neil Dimes, said: “The summer months have brought visitors to the region and punters through the doors, which is good news for the hotel and leisure industry. It appears that, while there are signs of economic recovery, this has not yet fully translated into consumer confidence, with many still preferring to go on ‘staycation’ and holiday in the UK rather than going abroad.”
BDO’s hotel trends surveys feature a broad range of hotels across the country although mainly in the 3 to 4-star categories and featuring rather more chain operated hotels than those operated independently.
