It seems business travellers are on the move again, with a number of hotels reporting a rise in corporate travel guests.
According to Starwood Hotels and Resorts, individual, as opposed to group, business travel guests are up 30% over the first five months of this year.
Michael Wale, senior VP and regional director of operations, Northwest Europe, commented: "It's good to say business is back.
"Recovery is probably more realised than anticipated it was going to be.
"We have 90% occupancy in some hotels, but we still needs the rates to bounce back."
Wale added that meetings business is also coming back, albeit slowly.
Jacques Dubois, Rezidor's chief operating officer, also reported a rise in business travellers, both individuals and groups.
"We have seen some solid lift in corporate transient stays so far this year and an improvement in business group numbers as well," he said, "the latter having been dampened by the effect of the ash cloud but nonetheless positive versus last year.
"Our view remains one of cautious optimism for the year on this segment."
Earlier this month, Intercontinental Hotels Group's (IHG) finance director Richard Solomons said there has been a steady improvement in the number of business travellers staying at the group's hotels.
In an interview with London's City AM, Solomons said: "There has been steady improvement from month to month. I do not want to say it too loudly because we cannot take anything for granted.
"Companies are still working on budgets set in the bad times, but the business is coming back."
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