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Business, leisure visitors shore up hotel vacancies: Marriott on construction spree as other properties expand.

Article Excerpt
Local hotels are gearing up for an increased demand from business travelers and an uptick in tourism expected this year.

At least three hotels are under construction in the greater Valley area and others have plans to expand in order to capture the increased activity.

Tourism, which had been weak for several years since the events of Sept. 11, appears back on track, both in the Valley and county-wide, and local hotels may also benefit from a tightening of room availability throughout the larger L.A. area.

"L.A. County is the strongest it's ever been," said Bruce Baltin, senior vice president at PKF Consulting, specialists in tourism.

Baltin said that occupancy rates have stabilized to about 76 percent at Valley-area hotels, after hovering in the mid 60 percent range for several years following Sept. 11.

And with similar improvements across the county, Baltin believes Valley-area facilities are also likely...