Hotel bedstock declines, quality improves

Hotel bedstock dropped slightly in the past five years but while several three and two star hotels closed, they were replaced by four star hotels, according to information given in parliament yesterday by Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech.

He gave the following details on the number of hotels which opened and closed in reply to a parliamentary question by Evarist Bartolo (MLP) :

2000 - Closed: two three star hotels (443 beds) and a two star hotel (150 beds). Opened: two four star hotels (482 beds).

2001 - Closed: two three star hotels (198 beds) and four two star hotels (387 beds). Opened: two four star hotels (982 beds) and one three star hotel (56 beds).

2002 - Closed: five three star hotels (1,236 beds). Opened: three four star hotels (589 beds).

2003 - Closed: two four star hotels (526 beds) two three star hotels (202 beds) and two two star hotels (135 beds). Opened: one five star hotel (902) and two three star hotels (324 beds).

2004 - Closed: one four star hotel (80 beds) three three star hotels (304). Opened: one four star hotel (88 beds).