Hotels in Miami did well during Memorial Day holiday week, even with fears that oil from the Gulf of Mexico may hit Miami shores. Occupancy and Miami Beach hotel rates rose across the region for the week ending May 29, according to Smith Travel Research.

Palm Beach County’s occupancy rose to 77.5 percent from 76.4 in the prior-year period. Occupancy for hotels in Miami rose to 68.3 percent from 58.1 percent. In Broward, occupancy rose to 63.5 percent from 55 percent an across the United States occupancy rose from 51.5 percent to 61.3 percent.

The average daily Miami Beach hotel rates to $138.75 from $129.67, a 7 percent increase.  The average in Broward rose 1.9 percent, to $95.16 from $93.37. The rate in Palm Beach County rose from $104.29 to $105.87 a 1.5 percent increase. The average daily room rate rose 4.3 percent nationwide from $93.21, to $97.21.

Like some hotels on the west coast of the Florida Keys, Broward hotels have not chosen to offer “clean beach” guarantees but local properties are ready to act if and when the oil reaches Broward’s shores. Officials in the Miami tourism industry are concerned about the oil, but no cancellations or drop in bookings have been noted.

In the Florida Keys things are a bit different. The few dozen tar balls that came ashore turned out not to be from the BP spill but still affected bookings. Monroe’s occupancy rate of 77.5 percent, was high than any of South Florida’s three counties.  However, the year over year growth in occupancy was just 1.4 percent and far behind South Florida and the state as a whole. That may have been a result of people thinking that the oil was closer to the Keys.