CHE Group, operator of branded hotels including Sleep Inn and Quality, has reported an "significant improvement" in performance for the 11 months to the end of November.
Group turnover was up by 6.6%, while in the UK like-for-like turnover rose by 3.4%, occupancy by 1.7 percentage points, room rate by 2.4% and revenue per available room (revpar) by 5.1%, CHE said.
"The performance demonstrates the improvement of business levels as the hotel sector continues to recover from the events that affected the industry for nearly three years," it added.
The company said the increase in revpar was driven by action taken earlier in the year to focus on yield management. But it added that "non-room sales growth in some areas has been disappointing".
Two new Sleep Inns are under construction, both due to open by summer 2005.
One new management contract, for the 136-bedroom Quality Hotel Stoke started during the year and two more are planned to start in the first half of 2005.
The company has signed up 17 new hotels under franchise deals, but kicked out 27 hotels for failing to meet the required standards.
Stuart Leven, currently sales and marketing director at Queens Moat Houses, will join CHE on 4 January as director of sales and marketing.
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