"It is clear previous talks of full hotel occupancy in that week won't materialize," Hong Kong Hotels Association executive director James Lu said.

As many as 5,000 overseas visitors, from anarchists to impoverished farmers, are expected to join a similar number of residents in protests during the WTO meeting from December 13 to 18.

At the same time, 6,000 senior government officials, 3,000 press members and 2,000 representatives from non- governmental organizations will attend the talks, along with 10,000 supporting personnel.

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Overall bookings for the period of the meeting are worse than expected, notably in Kowloon, according to developer and hotel operator Great Eagle Holdings. Hotels near the venue in Wan Chai were seeing better bookings, according to deputy chairman Lo Ka-shui. "Foreign tour groups are concerned about any problems with the WTO," Lo said. Great Eagle owns and operates three hotels in Kowloon under its Langham brand, in Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and Jordan.

If guests can avoid the period of the WTO meeting "then they will," said David Woo, corporate communications manager at Miramar Hotel & Investment, which operates the Miramar Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. The Miramar's occupancy rate was expected to be about 70 to 80 percent during that WTO period, compared with 80 to 90 percent for the same period last year.

There are more hotel rooms available this year, with about 9,000 added to the 39,000 existing 12 months ago, according to the Hong Kong Hotels Association's Lu.

Room rates are also about 10 percent higher than the same time last year, said Lo, who held out the possibility of last- minute bookings in the coming week.

Hoteliers were more positive about bookings either side of the WTO meeting, and some guests may have timed their visits around that period, the Miramar's Woo said.

Bookings for the adjacent periods were "looking very strong," said Lu.

Business so far this month for Great Eagle's hotels was good, "especially in the past two to three weeks," with some overbookings seen, Lo said.

Elsewhere, a spokeswoman for the Island Shangri-La Hotel in Admiralty said rooms during the WTO week were about 85 percent booked.

At the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel, next to WTO venue the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, a spokeswoman declined to comment.