Hotels in Scotland still faring better than in any other part of UK
November 22, 2011
The latest industry figures show that Scotland’s mid-market hotels are continuing to perform better than any other part of the UK outside London.
In figures released from accountancy firm PKF, Scottish hotels are seen to have the highest levels of occupancy and revenue with occupancy levels alone rising by 2.6 per cent year on year to 84.7 per cent during the month of September.
This is in contrast to a rise of 2.1 per cent to 79.1 per cent in England, while occupancy levels stayed the same in Wales at 78 per cent.
Despite the good news for hoteliers, a partner specialising in hospitality at PKF in Edinburgh, Alistair Rae, warned that because Scotland relies heavily on European tourism the continent’s economic troubles could still impact on the sector.
He continued: “Scotland’s hotels have responded well to the difficult economy and produced a product that the leisure market enjoys. Given the difficult times we live in, the sector has done enormously well to maintain such good levels of occupancy and revenue, and long may it continue.”
The biannual Offshore Europe conference provided a financial boost to Aberdeen’s hotels. Rooms yield (the industry measure of revenue per room) leapt by 37.3 per cent to £76.79 in the city.
Covering three and four star hotels, the monthly survey shows Edinburgh had the highest rooms yield of anywhere in the UK outside London with a 4.4 per cent increase to £77.70. Glasgow and Inverness also had an impressive rise in revenues – by 7 per cent and 6 per cent.
Occupancy in Edinburgh was the second highest in the UK after York thanks to a strong increase of 4.9 per cent.
Glasgow was down 1.3 per cent in the month, but Inverness and Aberdeen were two cities that improved.
