Queen City hotel room sales rise 10%

Following a record year in 2015, Springfield’s lodging industry is off to a solid start, according to the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau’s May newsletter.

Bolstered by a February increase, Springfield’s hotel room sales for the first two months of the year rose nearly 10 percent. In February, room sales were $6.9 million, contributing to a total for the year of $13.3 million.

Also, the Springfield lodging industry occupancy rate moved up to 53.3 percent in February from 51.8 percent a year earlier. For the year, the average is 50.3 percent, which is up from 48.4 percent at the same time in 2015.

In 2015, Springfield’s hotel room sales passed the $100 million mark for the first time in the city’s history.