By the Caribbean Journal staff

Hotel occupancy in the Caribbean fell by 0.9 percent in September, according to data from STR.

The drop was the third time Caribbean hotel occupancy fell in the last four months, after a 2.2 percent increase in August.

For the year, Caribbean hotel occupancy remains up 2.1 percent, compared to the January-September period in 2012.

Average daily rates in the region rose, however, increasing by 3.7 percent to $132.15, while revenue per available room rose 2.8 percent.

Hotel revenue increased by 2.7 percent in the period.

STR’s data covers 1,849 hotel properties and 220,758 rooms in the Caribbean region, which includes Bermuda.