There are some cities where there are still extraordinary discounts,

1998 is turning out to be a transition year for the lodging industry, ... After seven consecutive years of occupancy increases we are going to see occupancy in all five price points, price segments decrease this year.

There are several reasons why these data are not available. In many parts of the world there are simply not sources that compile the data. Real estate, hotel or construction companies are not as accustomed to sharing these data as they are in North America. Finally, gathering the data is very time consuming and challenging: Projects are announced that are never completed, and it would involve interviewing multiple local officials, local, regional and national developers, hotel companies and many others.

[But will such balancing acts work? Analysts are doubtful.] No one is doing a great job, ... It's very difficult to cater to all travelers.

We've seen ... substantial occupancy increases, which cause developers, lenders and others to have confidence that positive trends will continue.

Hotel buyers have to be much smarter now than they did a year or two ago.