After several tough years for hotels in San Mateo County, the industry made a rebound at the end of last year, thanks in large part to a rise in business-related bookings.
Hotel occupancy rates were up 7.4 percent through November 2010 compared with the same time in 2009, said Anne LeClair, the CEO of the San Mateo County/Silicon Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Average room rates were up, too, rising to $106.87 per night compared to $104.16 the year prior, LeClair said, pointing to market data from Smith Travel Research surveying 146 hotel properties on the Peninsula.
“Everyone’s cautiously optimistic because the numbers are definitely climbing and climbing steadily,” LeClair said.
Bringing in the bucks
Like other cities near the San Francisco International Airport, South San Francisco hopes hotel taxes are back on the upswing. Revenue generated by fiscal year:
2005-06: $5.5 million
2006-07: $6 million
2007-08: $7.1 million
2008-09: $5.9 million
2009-10: $5.8 million
2010-11: $6.2 million (projected)
Source: City of South San Francisco