Local hotel business improves....but

According to Smith Travel Research figures, occupancy in San Diego hotels has risen from 67.6% year-to-date March of last year to 70.9% this year. Average daily room rate has climbed from $126.98 to $133.1. But occupancy in San Francisco over the same period is 77%, Los Angeles 77.2%, and Orange Couty 74.2%.

The nation's highest daily room rate is Miami at $243.07, followed by New York City at $222.02, and Oahu at $211.98.

Encinitas-based hotel guru Jerry Morrison notes that in year-to-date occupancy, San Diego has finally passed the levels of pre-recession 2007: 70.9%, versus 2007's 70.5%. However, average daily room rate still lags the 2007 total by 1.3%.