ATLANTA-Lodgian Inc. reports fourth-quarter 2005 revenue rose $5.2 million to $76.8 million, compared to $71.6 million for the same 2004 period. For the year, sales improved 2.2% to $319.3 million versus $312.4 million in 2004.

The locally based international hotel chain manager of 75 properties posted revenue per available room from continuing operations of $48.47 million in the fourth quarter compared to $42.65 million in the comparable 2004 period. For the year, RevPAR totaled $51.37 million compared to $47.96 million in 2004.

Net income in the fourth quarter was $7.8 million versus a loss of $13.76 million in the same 2004 period. For the year, net income stood at $12.3 million compared to a loss of $31.8 million in 2004.

"We continue to show steady progress in our RevPAR growth, which on a comparable hotel basis, increased 4.5%, 6.4%, 6.5% and 8.4% for each of the four quarters in 2005," notes Ed Rohling, Lodgian's president and CEO. "For the same set of hotels [that were open during all of 2005], full-year 2005 RevPAR rose 6.5%."Rohling estimates Lodgian's $83-million renovation program in 2005 caused room revenue displacement of $700,000 at five hotels. Additionally, the company estimates lost fourth-quarter revenue of $2.7 million from the closure of the Crowne Plaza West Palm Beach hotel and the Crown Plaza Melbourne-Oceanfront hotel in Florida damaged by 2004 hurricanes.

Still, says Rohling, "We are very optimistic about the outlook for 2006. We have significantly upgraded our property-level management through both recruiting and training and have changed our reward systems to better incentivize our key property-level executives to deliver superior results."