Hotels Prepare for Highest Occupancy Levels in 20 Years


Skift Take

Expect room rates to rise in the U.S. in 2015, and that is likely to spur demand for midscale and economy chains.
A nightmare year of 2009, when U.S. hoteliers saw room rates and revenue plummet, now may seem like a vague, unpleasant memory as hotel occupancy in the U.S. in 2015 is forecast to reach 64.8% -- the highest in 20 years. Using data from Macroeconomic Advisors and Smith Travel Research, PwC US updated its 2014 forecast to detail higher than expected occupancy growth, and although it projects that occupancy growth would decelerate in 2015 because o