Granite City’s hotel market on a high

By ERIKKA ASKELAND
Published on 15/03/2013 00:00

HOTELS in Aberdeen had a “stellar” 2012, outperforming all UK competitors except Belfast, according to the latest PwC Hotels Forecast.

PwC said average UK occupancy rates fell 1.5 per cent in 2012, while Aberdeen was up 6.4 per cent. Belfast’s 13 per cent increase was attributed to the new Titanic Belfast visitor experience and the MTV awards.

Glasgow and Edinburgh performed a little below the UK in terms of room revenues, but both cities enjoyed a 3 per cent rise in occupancy levels. PwC director Bruce Collins said he expected “steady growth” across all three Scottish cities in 2013, adding that while Edinburgh tends to benefit more from tourism, as the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow approached, “this balance may shift”.