At its 21 De Vere-branded properties, turnover increased by 2.9%, or by 1.8% on a like-for-like basis. Revenue per available room (revpar) also increased by 1.8%. The company described trading patterns at De Vere as 'mixed, with continued resilience in the leisure-break market but less consistent recovery in conference demand'.
At the company's 14 Village Hotels & Leisure Clubs, turnover grew by 2.2%. De Vere said: 'Positive demand trends have started to emerge in the corporate segment, with revpar up by 5.8%.'
Its Village hotel in Maidstone, Kent, is still on schedule to open in June, followed by the Village Walsall, in the West Midlands, at the end of the year. Sites in Bournemouth, Birmingham and Hull are scheduled to open in 2005-2006.
The company said the overall trading environment 'remains variable, with a strong performance in the corporate and leisure segments.' But recovery in the conference market was lagging behind.
