Which of the following best describes occupancy in the hotel industry?

Occupancy in the hotel industry is best described as the percentage of available rooms that are sold. This metric indicates how effectively a hotel is utilizing its room inventory. By calculating occupancy, hotels can assess their performance and understand demand, operational efficiency, and potential areas for improvement.

When occupancy is expressed as a percentage, it reflects the ratio of the rooms sold compared to the total number of rooms available, which is crucial for benchmarking against industry standards or for tracking performance trends over time. A higher occupancy percentage generally signifies strong demand and can contribute positively to a hotel's revenue management strategy.

The other options, while related to the hotel's operations, do not accurately define occupancy. The number of guests staying at the hotel does not consider total available rooms and can be misleading without that context. Average revenue generated per room relates more to financial performance rather than room utilization. Similarly, total revenue from food and beverage services pertains to a different aspect of hotel operations entirely and does not relate to occupancy rates. Thus, the emphasis on the proportion of sold rooms best encapsulates the concept of occupancy in the hotel context.