Dubai: Hotels in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) posted a decline in occupancy in November compared to the corresponding period in 2012, according to a report by STR Global released on Monday.

Hotels in the region recorded an average 64.6 per cent occupancy at $180.88 average daily rate (ADR — a benchmark for performance), resulting in $116.78 revenue per available room (RevPAR). These performance levels represented an occupancy drop of 1.7 per cent, an increase of 6.8 per cent in ADR and an overall 4.9 per cent rise in RevPAR.

“The region’s performance is mostly driven by Middle Eastern markets of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama and Muscat,” Elizabeth Winkle, managing director at STR Global said in the report.

In the UAE, occupancy climbed 4.6 per cent to 85.7 per cent, while ADR rose 7.3 per cent to

Dh943.73, resulting in a 12.2 per cent increase in RevPAR to Dh808.51. In Dubai, hotels recorded a 9.9 per cent growth in ADR to $290.68.

Meanwhile, regionally, Cairo recorded a 39.3 per cent drop in occupancy to 33 per cent. In Egypt, hotels saw a 35 per cent drop in occupancy to 41.4 per cent, while ADR fell 9.6 per cent to EGP 399.61, and RevPAR by 41.2 per cent to EGP 165.43.

Saudi Arabia, too, posted declines. Occupancy was down 4.4 per cent to 48.9 per cent, ADR dropped by 3.3 per cent to 740.62 Saudi riyals, and RevPAR by 7.6 per cent to 361.98 Saudi riyals.

UAE performance was positive in October, too, according to a HotStats report by TRI Hospitality Consulting.

Hotels in Dubai saw average room rate (ARR) increase by 9.4 per cent to $396.87, resulting in RevPAR to grow by 6.8 per cent to $330.80, while occupancy dropped two per cent to 83.4 per cent, the report showed.

In Abu Dhabi, ARR grew by 16.8 per cent to $182.37, RevPAR by 30.6 per cent to $145.13, and occupancy by 8.4 per cent to 79.6 per cent.

In December, hotels are expected to enjoy strong performance in terms of occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR, Christopher Hewett, senior consultant at TRI Hospitality Consulting told Gulf News.

“December is a strong month for hotels [in the UAE]. Christmas generates high occupancies,” he said. He added that most visitors in the UAE this month come from Russia, the UK, Germany and France.