Land and Property | Hotels
Hotel occupancies reach record levels
Strong investor interest
210 hotels across 13 locations
2020 Insight:
Hampshire Hotel Occupancy – Survival to Recovery
Hotel occupancy levels in Hampshire have shown resilience as the hotel industry shifts from survival mode to recovery. Latest data from STR interpreted by Hotel Solutions, shows a UK average of 46% but with Hampshire leading the way driven in part by availability, proximity to key markets and Hampshire’s strong leisure attraction offer. The graph and table show the top twelve resorts and cities in the UK with the highest hotel occupancies for the study period (10-16 August), with the UK average remaining at 46%, down 29% compared to the same period in 2019.
While investment activity has slowed during the lockdown, new development and refurbishment projects have continued to be unveiled and progressed across Hampshire including The Balmer Lawn Hotel in the New Forest securing planning permission to add 38 new guest bedrooms, create a new spa and leisure facility and double the capacity of its function facilities. Amport House in the Test Valley has also been acquired by Watergate Bay Hotel and Another Place to transform into its next hotel venture. Many hotel sales agencies are reporting a spike in demand for hotels from a diverse range of prospective purchasers including opportunistic buyers, well-heeled cash purchasers and overseas investors.
The hotel industry is redefining and broadening its offer with Accor Hotels launching a new ‘Hotel Office’ concept to enable people to book a hotel bedroom for use as a remote working office across many of the group’s hotels in Hampshire.
View the nationwide report here.
Hampshire Hotel Market Appraisals – 2018
Research just published by Hampshire County Council shows a hotel industry across Hampshire that is currently booming.
The research, completed by the Hotel Solutions consultancy partnership, shows that hotel occupancies and room rates reached record levels in 2018 in many parts of the county, and look set to increase further in 2019, with demand for hotel accommodation having been boosted in June by the D-Day 75 commemorations and the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Hotels are performing particularly well in Southampton, where demand from cruise passengers and cruise ship crews continues to grow, and demand from families visiting Peppa Pig World at Paulton’s Park has increased; Winchester, as one of the UK’s leading heritage city destinations; the New Forest, which remains one of the country’s most popular rural destinations; and Farnborough, where the new Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre has boosted already very strong demand for hotel accommodation from local companies.
Looking forward, demand for hotel accommodation in the county is set to grow strongly as a result of the continuing expansion of Southampton’s cruise industry and growth in cruise departures from Portsmouth; the huge regeneration projects planned for Portsmouth and Southampton; the proposed expansion of Southampton Airport, and continuing development of Farnborough Airport; the anticipated further growth in domestic and overseas leisure tourist demand; and population growth, which will fuel increased demand for weddings and from people visiting their friends and relatives in the county.
The strength of the county’s hotel market continues to attract strong interest in hotel investment in many parts of Hampshire. New hotels have opened in 2018 and 2019 in Southampton, Winchester, Gosport, Ringwood and Andover. In the north of the county, Heckfield Place has now opened as a luxury country house hotel. Existing hotels have upgraded and expanded. Further hotels are due to open in 2020 and 2021 in Eastleigh, Portsmouth, Basingstoke and Fareham.
Andrew Bateman, Hampshire County Council’s Tourism Manager, said: “A successful hotel industry is fundamental to achieving future tourism and economic growth in Hampshire. The growth in hotel demand that we are seeing across the county is fantastic news.”
To view the hotel market fact files for the key locations across Hampshire, please see links below to download the report:
Basingstoke | Eastleigh | Fareham | Farnborough | Hart | New Forest | Portsmouth | Southampton | Test Valley | Winchester
Andrew Bateman
Tourism Manager
Emma Meredith
Regeneration and Development Manager
Notes re: Hampshire Hotel Performance table:
- Source: TRI Hotstats UK Chain Hotels Market Review
- Source: STR Global
- The amount of rooms revenue (excluding food and beverage income) that hotels achieve per occupied room net of VAT, breakfast (if included) and discounts and commission charges.
- The amount of rooms revenue (excluding food and beverage income) that hotels achieve per available room net of VAT, breakfast (if included) and discounts and commission charges.
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