1616-59 Today`s News 2005 Miami hotels ranking Miami hotels ran21)
among nation's top 20
Real estate firm says local industry No. 13
BY CLAUDIO MENDONCA and far above the national rate of
$92 and the state's$125.
Miami's lodging industry is be- Revenues from tourist taxes
ing ranked by a hotel real estate were up from$1.2 million in Feb-
firm as one of the nation's top 20 ruary 2004 to$1.5 million last
markets as local hotels outper- month. The county amassed
form the national average. $4.15 million in convention taxes
Miami is ranked 13th in num- in February versus$3.3 million a
ber of hotel rooms in the survey, year ago.
which considers daily room rates, "Miami has well-recovered
revenues and occupancy.Miami- from the post-9/1 I period,"Mr.
Dade County has 310 hotels with Ford said."The boost is being
46,865 rooms.Orlando ranks No. caused due to a strong inflow of
1 with 440 hotels and 120,559 international tourists. Tourists
MOMS. coming from abroad account for
"Miami isperformingwell,driv- 48%of the city's visitors."
ing average room rates up,"said Mr.Ford said hotel construe-
Patrick Ford,president ofLogis- tion cycles fluctuate.The lodging
tics Econometrics,aNew Hamp- industry recovers with the na-
shire company."In the previous tional economy,he said.
two years,2,000 new rooms were Because the economy is re-
created." bounding,he said he expects big
Four hotels with 506 rooms years in hotel constructionin2006
opened in the county last year.In and 2007.Only two hotels with
2005,the county is set for open- 152 rooms are expected to open
ings of six hotels with 910 rooms. in the county in 2006,but seven
The Setai Hotel,with 75 rooms, are slated for 2007.
partially opened last month on Rolando Aedo,vice president
South Beach.Le Meridien is to of marketing and tourism for the
open in May in Sunny Isles Greater Miami Convention &
Beach. The Rosewood in Visitors Bureau,said that even
Aventura and a Courtyard by though the number ofvisitors is
Marriott in Kendall are to start rising,the"county definitely has
welcoming guests in early sum- the capacity to handle its tourist
mer. Hilton's Fantasy on the base.
Ocean in Sunny Isles Beach is to "The best answer,in essence,
be ready in August and the Sole are the measures of occupancy
Ocean Resort in the same corn- and room rates,"Mr.Aedo said.
munity in October. "For the past two years,we have
As the new hotels wait in the enjoyed our highest occupancy
wings,room ratesandvisitornum- growth in room rates.We have
bers continue to rise. been able to absorb without sac-
In February,room rates in Mi- rificing room rate and occupancy.
ami-Dade hotels averaged$172, For now,we have sufficient de-
up 19.4%from February 2004 mand to satisfy our base."