Hotel rooms getting more pricey in Sonoma County

Sonoma County hotels increased the price of their rooms 5.1 percent in May, compared to a year earlier, travel research company STR reported Tuesday.

The average cost of a hotel room climbed last month to $167.02 a night, up from $158.86 in May 2015.

Occupancy rates also increased. County hotels reported 78.4 percent of their rooms were occupied last month, up from 76.6 percent a year earlier.

To date this year, hotel room revenues have increased 9.1 percent to a total of $96.7 million from the same period in 2015.

County hotels have steadily increased the prices they charge for rooms for six years. The average room rate has increased 51.1 percent since May 2010, when it was $110.51.

The STR monthly survey includes data on more than 6,200 hotel rooms in the county.