AUSTIN Due to the unusual nature of the presidential election, many of Austin, Texas hotels were filled to capacity, and their staffs had to scramble to accommodate the slew of reporters, supporters and politicians that wanted to stay put despite their reservations being expired. The five week post-election period boosted business among downtown hotels at a time of year when corporate travel starts to dry up and occupancy falls, said Jack Swilley, incoming president of the Austin Hotel and Motel Association.
While the average downtown hotel occupancy was 76.9 percent in November rising 5 percentage points from the previous year the average room rate for these hotels rose more than $17 from November 1999, according to the Houston office of PKF Consulting, a hospitality research group. (1/5/01)
SOURCE: Austin American-Statesman