Manchester hotels register record rise in room occupancy

An increase in tourists from China, India and the United States helped Manchester hotels achieve a record-breaking room occupancy rate in 2014, city officials reported Monday.

With an extra 800 rooms to be added during 2015, tourism officials say they are confident of further success.

The annual average occupancy rate in city center hotels in 2014 was 79 percent, up 2 percent on 2013, which itself matched an all-time high.

Several events in Manchester meant virtually every hotel in the city was fully booked. On two dates in December, city center hotels were nearly 100 percent full thanks to the festive markets, sporting and cultural events.

A Winter Wonderland festival in the run up to Christmas gave the city's hotel sector a 99 percent occupancy rate, while a home game at Manchester United's stadium saw hotels filled to 98 percent,

Nick Brooks-Sykes, director of tourism at the city's official agency for tourism Marketing Manchester, said: "2014 was a very good year with occupancy levels outstripping previous records. To see figures continue to rise alongside ever-expanding bedroom stock speaks volumes about the current health of our tourism industry."

"There are a number of new hotel operators preparing to enter the market in 2015 and many of the city's existing hotels are currently upgrading their facilities. This investment is very well-timed as the tourism calendar is packed with new developments and drivers," he added.

Paul Bayliss, chair of the Manchester Hoteliers Association, said: "With increases in visitors from China, India and the United States, the future looks bright for Manchester's hotel industry." Endit