London continues to be the destination of choice, while regional destinations continue to be hit by the recession.

Figures from PKF Hotel Consultancy Services show that in London, hotel occupancy rates rose by 1.3% in May, year-on-year, while outside the capital occupancy was down by 5.6% on the same month in 2008 – from 74.2% to 70.1%.

Jane Brumby, director at Exeter-based hospitality recruiter Apple Appointments, told Recruiter: “We are seeing a gradual recovery. The hotel side of things has not picked up but the pub side has. It has not made any difference at all. It is very slow.”

Mark Norris, chief executive at Profile, adds: “There are a lot of people that are going to need to come to London from around the world. Money is not necessarily the key driver and they want to stay in a quality hotel. There is always a demand.

“London, at the top end, has got celebrity status. There are going to be people staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Dorchester in London. Those people are still around.

“There is also a value proposition in that you can stay in a top London hotel a bit cheaper than you could have done six months ago.”