June occupancy up at South Florida hotels

Conferences and conventions helped to lift June occupancy rates at South Florida hotels from last year’s levels.

STR, a Tennessee-based hotel industry research firm, also reported that hotels’ average daily room rate in June rose in Broward County and Palm Beach County, compared to last year, and declined in Miami-Dade County.

Ten large groups held events in Broward during June, including the Southwest Cannabis Conference & Expo (June 9-11) and the annual conference of the Florida Government Finance Officers Association (June 24-28).

STR reported that the June occupancy rate at Broward hotels increased to 73.9 percent from 72.3 percent last year, and the hotels’ average daily room rate rose to $112.78 from $111.91 last year.

In Palm Beach County, the June occupancy rate grew to 68.6 percent from 67.4 percent last year. The average daily room rate was $124.74 last month, up from $120.70 in June 2016.

“Two large groups that held their conventions here in June helped to boost our overall numbers,” Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO of Discover The Palm Beaches, said in a prepared statement.

In Miami-Dade County, the hotel occupancy rate in June was 72.8 percent, up from 70.7 percent in the same month last year. But the average daily room rate in June declined to $146.37, down 1 percent from June 2016. [Sun-Sentinel] – Mike Seemuth