Hotels in the Swindon area are slowly recovering from the economic downturn but are continuing to underperform compared to the rest of the country, according to a new survey.
The latest quarterly hotel report by accountants BDO shows Swindon hotels achieved an annual rise in room yield – the way the industry measures revenue generated by each available room – of just 3.2% against a regional UK average increase of 3.5%.
Most other towns and cities in the South West enjoyed far stronger growth, with Bristol and Plymouth recording a rate of 6.8% for the three months to the end of September.
Occupancy rates in Swindon hotels were also lower than most other parts of the region – 67.3% against 79% in Plymouth and 75.2% in Bristol. However, that was better than last year when the Swindon occupancy rate was 63.9%.
The average room rate charged by Swindon hotels fell by 2% to £50.91 over the year. Bristol also suffered a decline but by the slightly smaller rate of 1.4%. 
Neil Dimes, partner at BDO’s Bristol office, pictured, said: “The summer months brought visitors to the region and punters through the doors, which is good news for the hotel and leisure industry.
“It appears that, while there are signs of economic recovery, this has not yet fully translated into consumer confidence, with many still preferring to go on ‘staycation’ and holiday in the UK rather than going abroad.”
