Leading the state on the negative side, occupancy at Tacoma area hotels fell 6.6 percent in September, compared with the same month in 2010.
Occupancy also fell in Spokane, the Tri-Cities and Bellevue, while the statewide rate rose 1.4 percent, said Bellevue hospitality consultant Wolfgang Rood in his monthly report.
Northwest Washington and downtown Seattle hotels saw the greatest increase in September, with occupancy up 8.6 percent and 5.5 percent respectively.
Hotels in the Tacoma area reported a decrease from 77.1 percent of rooms occupied last year to 72 percent occupied in September. Nearly 90 percent – 89.6 percent – of rooms were occupied in downtown Seattle.
All regions of the state reported an increase in the average rate of a room. The rate of room rose 3.2 percent in the Tacoma area, from $106.15 last year to $109.59 in September, Rood said. Statewide, the average rate of $125.48 was up 4.7 percent from the year before.
C.R. Roberts c.r.roberts@thenewstribune.com
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