The Americas, as expected, posted declines in all three key performance metrics in February 2009, according to a report by STR and STR Global.

Overall the region dropped 10.0 percent to 53.7 percent in occupancy levels. Average daily rate fell 9.1 percent to $10.207 and revPar fell more drastically, down 18.2 percent at US$54.80.

Montreal and Ottawa reported the smallest descreases in occupancy year-over-year while Santiago, Chile had a decrease in occupancy of 56.2 percent, the most drastic noted in the report.

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This evening between 8:30 and 9:30pm local time Hotels across the world will participate in Earth Hour. By switching off the lights they are voting against Global Warming along with millions of citizens at home.

Earth Hour began in Australia in 2007 when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for an entire hour. By last year the event had picked up and is now a global occasion.

In 2009 it is suspected that over 1 billion people will switch off their lights in support of the fight against global warming.

Join the hotel industry in this symbolic stand!

Located between Atlanta and Savannah the Villa South Motor Inn is a convenient place to stop and rest with easy access to local shopping and business locations.

You won’t find a hotel with more amenities nearby, not will you find one at such an affordable price. The hotel offers everything travelers need:

• Free high speed internet
• 27″ HDTV
• Microwave & Fridge
• Irons & Ironing boards
• Coffee maker
• Hair Dryer
• Gym
• Swimming Pool
• Truck Parking
• … and much more.

If you’re planning a road trip through or a longer visit make sure to visit the South Villa Motor Inn’s official website and get more details.

The Days Inn Milpitas California is the hotel of choice for business and leisure travelers in San Jose, California.

The hotel’s services and amenities are second to none and offer some of the most economic rates among Silicon Valley hotels. Basic features and amenities include a free deluxe continental breakfast, a heated outdoor pool and laundry facilities. The list doesn’t end there, though:

• Microwave and refrigerator in all rooms
• Free parking available
• RV and truck parking available
• Wake-up calls
• 24-hour front desk

The Days Inn Hotel in Malpitas CA is in the heart of Silicon Valley, AAA-approved and with walking distance to shopping, restaurants and attractions. The San Jose Convention Center is just 10 miles away as the country fairgrounds and Raging Waters Park.

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THe US Hotel Industry posted declines in all three key performance measurements yet again, making it more than several months of consistent declines.

In year-over-year measurements, room occupancy dropped 15.7%, average daily rates dropped 11.2% and RevPAR fell 25.1%.

As usual, certain American markets did escape the poor numbers. These included Oahu Island, Hawaii, the only market to report an increase in all three measurements. Other markets, including Houston, experienced a lesser drop in performance and increases in some measurements.

Read the report.

The Gold Miners Inn in Nevada County is set in the heart of the historic town of Grass Valley, California. It’s a great destination for hosting your business seminars and training, to explore the gold country with family and friends, host a wedding or special event or even host your next business conference.

The hotel has the best of both worlds, easily accessed from the highway and still nestled in the heart of Grass Valley’s historic down town.

Guests to this Nevada County hotel will enjoy more than 5,000 sq feet of conference space, stylized guest rooms and suites and a long list of amenities and features.

Get more information at the Gold Miners Inn Hotel website.

There are few hotels in Shawano, Wisconsin that offer all that the Kiryat Hotel does.

Located nearby to various outdoor recreation centers and parks as well as gaming resorts, the hotel is a great place to set-up the base camp when vacationing in Wisconsin. Among the many activities available in a small radius are canoeing on the Red, Wolf or Oconto Rivers, biking, hiking, snowmobiling, rafting and much more. There are also several casinos including the Menominee Casino, North Star Casino and Potawotamie Casino.

Besides giving guests great access to area activities they’ll also enjoy a comfortable stay. Learn more about the available amenities in the top hotel in Shawano, Wisconsin.

According to data collected by STR, the US hotel industry posted declines in all three key performance measurements in the first week of March.

US Hotel occupancy fell 14.9 percent to finish at just 52.8 percent. Average daily rates dropped 9.6 percent to finish at $98.67 and RevPAR dropped 23% to finish at $52.18. All numbers are compared to the same period of time one year ago.

Not all of the US felt the pinch, however, as several markets managed to grow and increase in all three areas. These areas, according to STR, include Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Read more about the report

STR Global announced the launch of the Hotel Market Forecast. The report will be presented at the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin.

STR will be partnering with e-forecasting.com, an economic consulting company based in the US, to provide over two years of forecast data for 42 European markets and sub-markets.

In this fast changing environment, it is vital to look at how the local economic conditions are affecting our industry,” said James Chappell, managing director of STR Global. “By studying these in combination with historic data from previous cycles, the Hotel Market Forecast will give much needed visibility on what is likely to happen. We have been looking at these models for several years now and are confident that this will be an important instrument in the market.”

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Cities in Europe and the Middle East lead in global hotel performance, gobbling up 7 spots each in the list of the world’s top 20 RevPAR rankings.

The data comes from a report by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

As a whole the global tourism industry has experienced a major downturn in 2008 with the massive economic crisis taking its toll. While the first half of 2008 saw strong performance, the second half, especially the final quarter, saw major declines in every area worldwide.

Read more about the performance of top cities here.