Les Hotels poussent à Montréal.

[mtlurb]

Hotel slump in Montreal may continue into 2008

 

Mon, 2008-01-07 16:44.

Shuyee Lee

 

After experiencing flat numbers in 2007, Montreal hotels are getting ready for another lackluster year.

 

Despite a strong Canadian dollar, soaring gas prices and the whole passport issue, Montreal hotels still managed to pull in a 67 per cent occupany rate - but the executive vice president of the Montrea Hotel Association argues that's not saying much, adding they still haven't recovered from the double whammy of 9/11 and SARS.

 

"In the past four years, we've gone from 66.7, to 67.3, to 67.6 to 67.1 (% occupancy rate), that's pretty stagnant."

 

And Bill Brown says their expectations are pretty low for 2008 what with fewer conventions booked this year plus...

 

"It's an election year in the States, and the past has always shown historically, particularly from a corporate and association point of view, there seems to less travel coming into Canada."

 

And with more new hotels opening up in town....

 

"We have some catching up to do."

 

Brown says with bookings made four to five years in advance, convention business should only pick up next year following the fallout of 9/11 and SARS.