According to a report released on Friday, San Antonio hotel revenue fell nearly 50 percent year over year in 2020 as travel restrictions caused by COVID-19 disrupted the hotel industry.

Hotels in the region had sales of $ 715.5 million, up from $ 1.4 billion in 2019. This is an “unprecedented decline,” said Paul Vaughn, senior vice president of Source Strategies, of the San Antonio office resident hotel consultancy that issued the report.

Hoteliers filled an average of just 42.7 percent of their rooms last year, compared to 64.4 percent in 2019, the lowest rate of any subway area in Texas.

Hotels in the Houston area averaged 44.4 percent, while hotels in the Austin area averaged 45.1 percent and the Dallas / Fort Worth area averaged 44.2 percent.

“All of the major metropolitan areas in Texas suffer from a lack of convention business and a lack of major tourism business,” Vaughn said.

Nationwide, hotel sales fell by 41 percent year-on-year to $ 7.2 billion.

“It’s been a disastrous year for the hotel industry,” said Vaughn. “It really decimated the accommodation industry. Hotels have problems staying afloat in some places. “

Several San Antonio hotels have changed hands in the past few months, but no bankruptcies have been reported.

“There are many banks that are a little suspicious of taking over these properties even if they are behind, because what are they going to do with them?” Vaughn said. “Will the banks be able to run the hotel better than the people who run the hotel?”

The beginning of 2021 hasn’t drastically changed the image of local hotels. January and February are traditionally the slowest months of the year, but COVID-19 cases have also increased over the past month.

Nevertheless, the local hotel operators are hoping for a trend reversal in a few months.

“The surge in cases in January got us off to a slow start, but we know the demand for vacation travel is pent-up and San Antonio remains one of the top vacation destinations in the country’s drive market,” said Michelle Madson. President and CEO of the San Antonio Hotel & Lodging Association. “The spring break is still very promising as the occupancy is only improving very gradually.”

Madson expects more visitors to come to San Antonio as COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available.

Robert Thrailkill, general manager of the Hilton Palacio Del Rio, said he was “cautiously optimistic” that occupancy would increase in the second half of 2021.

In January, the hotel filled an average of about one in five rooms. This month, Thrailkill expects an average occupancy rate of just over 30 percent. March could climb to 40 to 60 percent, supported by

In March, visitors to the spring break and the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, which hosts all 63 games in San Antonio, add a temporary boost.

The Hilton Palacio Del Rio will host some of the NCAA teams, according to Thrailkill.

The manager said the summer months are looking good, some small groups have already been booked and an increase in tourists is expected.

However, Thrailkill said delays in vaccine distribution or new spikes in COVID-19 cases could hurt any recovery for the hospitality industry.

“There are a lot of ‘ifs’ out there,” he said.

randy.diamond@express-news.net