Hotel occupancy slipped 1.5% in Charleston County in February

A rainy February and one less day in the month versus last year conspired to reduce hotel occupancy in Charleston County 1.5 percent. Still, room rates continued to rise.

Charleston County’s hotel occupancy rate slipped to 64.8 percent with about 7,750 fewer room nights sold in February compared to the same month a year ago, according to the College of Charleston’s Office of Tourism Analysis and the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The average daily rate for a room shot up 8.7 percent to $120.87 and revenue per available room rose 7 percent to $78.46.

Peninsular Charleston hotels increased occupancy by 4 percent to 76.1 percent last month, while lodgings in West Ashley, North Charleston and East Cooper saw declines of 3.3 percent, 3.2 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively.

The average daily rate and revenue per available room rose in all areas across the county.

Charleston County’s number of hotel rooms grew in February to 15,330 with the opening of the new 153-room Holiday Inn Express on Lockwood Drive. The county reported 14,990 hotel rooms one year ago.

Reach Warren L. Wise at 937-5524 or twitter.com/warrenlancewise.