PHILIPSBURG--Hotel occupancy figures from January to March 2010 are mixed, but do not paint an overly negative picture compared to the same period in 2009.

Hotel occupancy was down slightly at 68.5 per cent in January 2010, compared to 69.5 per cent the prior January.

Figures leaped significantly in February 2010 to 74.8 per cent, compared to 64.6 per cent in February 2009. As the high season began to tail off in March 2010, so did occupancy, but not as badly as in 2009. March showed a 59.9 per cent occupancy level, compared to 52.3 per cent in the same period last year.

Timeshare remained very strong for St. Maarten as usual, and its numbers even increased in the first two months. It enjoyed 84.2 per cent occupancy in January 2010, compared to 80.3 per cent in January 2009. February recorded 86.8 per cent compared to 85.1 in 2009. March is the only month that dipped for the timeshare market, although ever so slightly, from 79.5 per cent in 2009 to 79.2 per cent in 2010.