For the week that ended May 1, the luxury hotel niche reported the sharpest increases in both occupancy and revenue per available room of any segment in the domestic hotel industry, according to Smith Travel Research, the hotel financial analysis firm. “The recovery is stronger in luxury than in any other segment of the hotel business,” Mr. Cooper said. “This time last year we were taking the toughest hit, primarily because of the cancellations of groups after A.I.G. and all the media attention that created.” Everybody, he added, “was being very circumspect about how they spent their money, and where.” – from NYTimes