Hotels in the Asia/Pacific region experienced mixed results in the three key performance metrics for January 2012
In year-over-year measurements, the Asia/Pacific region's occupancy reported a 3.4-percent decrease to 60.0 percent, its average daily rate increased 9.8 percent to US$152.92 and its revenue per available room was up 6.0 percent to US$91.81.
The region saw a slightly weaker start in the new year, with a small decline in demand (-0.8 percent) reflected in a drop in occupancy (-3.4 percent), said Elizabeth Randall, managing director of STR Global. Average rate growth helped to boost RevPAR in the region.
The Maldives, which have been in the news lately, continue to show double-digit demand growth (+11.6 percent) and increases in occupancy and average room rates. Additionally to the perceived stability of the country, currency exchange rates play a key role in the island nation, with average room rates increasing 37.4 percent in local currency but only 15.6 percent in British pounds, the currency of its main source market.