season this year compared to last.

The Fairmont Southampton Princess had fewer rooms available due to renovation work but it was booked out for both Christmas and New Year.

The hotel had to make more rooms available for guests for New Year to meet demand, said manager Allan Trew.

He said the hotel had 300 rooms -- half the total -- available for Christmas and was booked out. Last year, the hotel was 60 percent booked for Christmas.

At New Year, there were guests in 400 rooms, but it was sold out last year.

"With our construction ongoing we have only so many rooms available,'' said Mr. Trew. "We were forced to open rooms for New Year's Eve because of the demand.'' The Sonesta Beach Hotel had 26.5 percent occupancy for Christmas, down from (27.1 percent last year), and New Year was down 4.1 percent to 66.4 percent.

Hotel occupancy levels static "We were slightly down. It would have been a little bit better if the weather in the US east coast had been a little bit more agreeable,'' said general manager Stephan Amesoeder.

Barb Jones, rooms division manager at The Reefs, said: "At Christmas we were 75 percent full and 95 percent at New Year. We had a better Christmas, but last year we were 100 percent full for New Year.'' Clyde Darrell, residents manager at Grotto Bay Beach Hotel, said: "We were in the high 50s over New Year and the 50s at Christmas which was slightly up on last year.''