Aberdeen hotels have outperformed rivals across Scotland thanks to the buoyant oil and gas industry and conferences held in the Granite City, according to figures published yesterday.
Despite falls in occupancy and room yield – an industry measure of revenue – elsewhere in Scotland, the national averages were up in October thanks to the strength of the sector in Aberdeen.
Accountant PKF said occupancy in Aberdeen was 85%, up from 76.2% in October last year, while room yield was up by more than 23% to £66.92.
While Glasgow also recorded rises – occupancy was up to 85.7% from 80.7%, while yield rose by 8.3% to £52.13 – Inverness and Edinburgh hotels both fell back.
Gavin Paterson, general manager at the Douglas Hotel in Aberdeen, said that while weekdays were traditionally busy in the city, the Market Street venue had also enjoyed high occupancy at the weekends in October.
Mr Paterson said: “There seems to have been a lot of investment in the oil and gas industry in recent months, which is always a great help for us through the week.
“We have also been busy at the weekends though. There were various events at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre and people seemed to be coming to the city to start their Christmas shopping earlier as well.
“In October, we had a group of Norwegians staying with us who arrived with empty suitcases and left with cases full of shopping.”
Alastair Rae, from PKF’s real-estate and hospitality division, said: “The overall figures for Scotland show a healthy improvement during October, although these figures conceal widely differing performance levels.
“In Aberdeen the very high improvements in occupancy and revenue continue a trend of improving fortunes for the city.
“Specific causes are likely to have been the continued high oil price coupled with some conferences during October including the Scottish NHS Forensic event which boosted activity.”