US takes biggest hotel industry hit in April

April proved another negative month for the global hotel industry, according to data from Smith Travel Research.

All four regions — the Americas, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Middle East — showed double-digit percentage decreases in occupancy and revenue per available room in April, compared with the same month in 2008.

Occupancy in the Americas dropped 11.3 percent year-over-year, to 56.5 percent. The average daily rate was down 10 percent and RevPAR was down 20 percent, according to the STR data.

The U.S. took the hardest hit in terms of average daily rate, which dropped 9.4 percent, to $98.37.