U.S. hotels ended 2011 on a strong note, and will likely recover even more this year, says a lodging forecast released today.

According to consulting firm PwC US, a short-term uptick in economic activity in the fourth quarter last year led to higher hotel occupancy rates.

Occupancy reached 60.1%, slightly higher than the 10-year average of 60%.

Although the economic environment is still uncertain, PwC expects higher occupancy levels this year, enough to drive hotels to raise rates.