LOS ANGELES— U.S. hotel room revenue showed a strong rise in the final week of June, ending a down quarter on a positive note as the industry considers whether business will recover on into the summer. RevPAR room rose 3.4% from a year earlier to $59.86 in the week to June 28, according to Smith Travel Research reported. Occupancy rose 2.6% and room rates increased 0.7% to $82.89 in the week, STR said. Urban markets and “upper upscale” were both up 4.7%, analysts said, quoting figures for the areas that major lodging companies like Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Hotels Corp. and Starwood Hotels and Resorts depend on most. “With a solid performance this week, the quarter has wrapped up nicely and has set the stage— we hope— for the much-anticipated back-half (of the year) recovery that the industry has been buzzing about recently,” analyst Marc Falcone observed.
