DALLAS-Though total revenues and RevPAR decreased during thefirst quarter 2010, officials at locally-based Ashford HospitalityTrust Inc. said during an earnings conference call Thursday thatthey saw a steady increase in room rates from month-to-month duringQ1. The self-administered real estate investment trust’s assetsinclude 102 hotels.

The trust reported total revenue decreased by 7.6% for the firstquarter to $217 million, from $234.9 million in Q4 2009. Also,revenue per available room decreased 4.1% in Q1.

However, CEO Monty Bennett said during the call that RevPARturned positive in March. "Over the last three months, we have seena significant improvement in the lodging industry," he said. "Forinstance, in our portfolio we experienced a RevPAR decline of 11%in January, a decline of 5% in February, and an increase of almost3% in March. This is a fairly rapid recovery and a very positivetrend."