Average daily hotel room rates in the Denver-area and the state jumped in July from July 2006, although the average occupancy rate was down slightly.

The Rocky Mountain Lodging Report released today by Bob Benton of Robert S. Benton & Associates, shows that the average Denver-area hotel room rate in July was $115.59, 11.8 percent higher than the $103.38 a year earlier.

The average occupancy rate in July was 77.9 percent, compared with 78.1 percent in July 2006, for Denver-area hotels.

Downtown Denver hotels had the highest average room rate in the metro area at $155.87.

In the first seven months of the year, the average occupancy rate was 67.8 percent, compared with 66.5 percent for the same period in 2006, while the average room rate was $110.15, 11.5 percent higher than the $98.79 in the first seven months of 2006.

Hotels in the entire state showed a similar trend.

The average room rate for state hotels was $123.87, 8.7 percent higher than the $113.94 in July 2007, while the average room daily room rate through July average $125.86, compared with $114.77 last year.

Statewide, the average occupancy permit in July was 74.4 percent, compared with 75.4 percent in July 2006. Through July, the average occupancy rate stood at 64.9 percent, compared with 63.5 percent in the first seven months of 2006.

Hotels in Aspen boasted the highest room rates in the state with an average daily rate of $380.96 in July. That was more than twice the average room rate in Vail, which stood at $171.96 in July.

rebchookj@RockyMountainNews.com

or 303-954-5207