Positive signs for SF hotels

Occupancy at Miami-Dade County hotels rose to 72.1 percent last week,
compared to the same period in July 2009, according to the latest report
from Smith Travel Research. Occupancy in Broward rose to 66.1 percent,
and Palm Beach County’s occupancy rate rose, too. Room rates rose in
Broward and Miami-Dade counties, although Palm Beach’s average room rate
fell to $99.71. Miami-Dade still has the highest average rate in the
tri-county area, at $122.85. The tourism industry also got a boost last
week when Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander in charge of
the BP oil spill response, said the spill would likely not hit South
Florida’s coast. [SFBJ]