Dubai hotels saw its occupancy hit a record 88.4 per cent during March, the strongest in the region, said a report.

The average room rates (ARR), meanwhile, touched $398.71, up 5.6 per cent, boosting profit margins, with gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) reaching $305.02 or 53.3 per cent of total revenue, reported the Gulf News, citing the latest HotStats survey, published by TRI Hospitality Consulting.

During the first quarter, the hotels saw ARR grow by 5.6 per cent to $389.99, while revenue per available room (RevPAR- a benchmark for performance) was up 4.5 per cent.

Elsewhere in the emirates, the hotels in Abu Dhabi saw occupancy rise by 4.3 per cent during March and by 4.4 per cent to 79.1 per cent during the first quarter. ARR increased by 2.2 per cent to $157.76 in March, boosting RevPAR by 7.8 per cent.