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DUBAI: Dubai hotels reported higher daily room rates in March, boosted by a change in school holidays in ��������Ƶ, traditionally the emirate’s biggest driver of tourist traffic from within the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
Average daily room rate (ADR) of Dubai hotels was up 0.5 percent, to 752.49 dirhams, although revenue per available room (RevPAR) nudged 0.1 percent lower to 644.97 dirhams, preliminary data from industry monitor STR showed.
“The increase in ADR would be the first for the market since April 2017 and only the second overall since July 2014 … the rise in ADR could be due to the shift in Saudi school holidays, which occurred 10-20 March 2018,” STR said.
ADR represents the average rental income per paid occupied room in a given time period, while RevPAR is derived by multiplying a hotel’s average daily room rate by its occupancy rate.
Occupancy rates among Dubai hotels averaged 85.7 percent in March, 0.6 percent lower from year-ago levels, STR said.
“Overall performance remains consistent as demand (room nights sold) grows, but not as fast as supply,” it added, noting that room keys supply was up 5.4 percent during the month compared with a 4.7 percent increase in demand.