Hotel rooms, problems increase in Singapore

An influx of tourists to Singapore this year has brought little joy to the city's hoteliers, as a glut of rooms sends a key revenue measure to a six-year low.

Revenue per available room, a metric used by the hotel industry, slumped 7.4 percent in June to S$179.40 ($132) a night, the lowest since 2010, according to data from the Singapore Tourism Board. Even as tourist arrivals have risen each month this year, room rates have fallen because of shorter trips by visitors and a 5 percent increase in the number of hotel rooms.

There's no relief in sight. Of the 2,866 hotel rooms slated for addition this year, about two-thirds were expected to open in the second half, according to UOB Kay Hian. Marriott International Inc and the owner of the Holiday Inn Express chain are among operators that have planned new hotels in Singapore this year or already opened them.