Fall 2021 was extremely good for Bucks County hotels, setting a record for occupancy. Laura Smythe, for the Philadelphia Business Journal, checked into the performance drivers reported by Visit Bucks County.

Occupancy rates — a bellwether of hotel performance reflected by booked rooms — reached a new record in September (74.4 percent). It topped the previous high mark set in September 2019 (73.9 percent), before the pandemic severely curtailed travel.

The number of guests spending a night in the county also boosted hotel profitability. September-October’s average daily room rate was $113.49, five percent above the October 2018 record.

The business uptick benefited not only chain hotels but also the county’s numerous bed and breakfasts. Guests filled rooms and turned their getaways from elsewhere in the state and metropolitan New York into staycations.

Lisa Menz, innkeeper at the Fox and Hound Bed & Breakfast in New Hope, said, “Longer stays enable them to have an even more relaxing stay and enjoy more sightseeing and area activities.” 

A brisk wedding trade also swelled numbers. Ceremonies, unions, and receptions postponed from 2020 generated large numbers of overnight guests.

Erin McPhillips, general manager at the Hampton Inn Bensalem, said her property has been “blown away” by the demand.

The boom is expected to continue into 2022.

More on the recent performance of Bucks County hotels is at the Philadelphia Business Journal.