TAMPA — Demand for hotel rooms in Hillsborough County is outstripping availability, allowing the lodging industry to raise rates, but retain good occupancy numbers, according to Visit Tampa Bay, the company that promotes the county as a tourist and convention destination.
Revenue per available hotel room is up 13.3 percent, on average, since January, according to new data released to Visit Tampa Bay by STR Inc. (formerly Smith Travel Research). Hillsborough County, for the first time, is ahead in the revenue measure of all 10 destinations it competes with for both convention business and vacationers, the data shows.
STR statistics show that Hillsborough County room rates sit right in the middle of its competitive set. The average room price here is $118.13, compared with $106 a night in May and $104 a year ago. That compares with Orlando at $118.51 and Fort Lauderdale at $157.77, Visit Tampa Bay reported.
When looking at revenue per available room, Hillsborough County leads its competitors, which include Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte, North Carolina, Nashville, Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth, as well as Milwaukee, Baltimore and Long Beach.
“This is great news for hotel operators in Tampa and Hillsborough County,” said Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay.
“It’s a testament to the work of Visit Tampa Bay and our partners that our hotels are producing more revenue and profitability than ever,” Corrada said. “And yet, Tampa Bay remains extremely affordable in terms of rates, which shows the potential we still have as a tourism destination.”
Total revenues for hotels in 2015 are just shy of $300 million, more than 14 percent above the same time last year. County hotel occupancy for the year is 79.2 percent, nearly equal to Orlando (80.4 percent) and slightly behind Fort Lauderdale (84.6 percent).
Since Oct. 1, according to Visit Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County has collected $18.2 million in bed taxes, more than 14 percent above the same period last year.
yhammett@tampatrib.com
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