HONGKONG hotel occupancies slid to an average of 80.2 per cent at the start of the low season in December, after reaching 91 per cent in November. Middle-market properties topped the list, but luxury hotels continued to return the highest yield. A survey of 33 hotels showed that the Regal Airport, which topped the occupancy list during the past three months, managed a whopping 99.4 per cent average in December. It was followed by the New World Hotel with 95.6 per cent; Ambassador Hotel, 93.6 per cent; Omni Prince, 92.83 per cent and Park Lane, 92 per cent. The Peninsula is still the most expensive with an average room rate of $2,418.60, with the Regent a distant second, with $2,093. Others with high room rates were the Grand Hyatt at $1,640.41, Mandarin Oriental at $1,516, Island Shangri-La at $1,457.56, Kowloon Shangri-La at $1,303.08, and Conrad at $1,158.