Already among the highest in Asia, hotel room rates in Singapore will rise further this year, according to a new forecasts by real estate firm CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) Hotels.

CBRE Hotels projects average room rates in Singapore to increase by around 10-15 percent this year, with occupancy rates also seen higher at about 83-86 percent.

The average occupancy rate projected for the whole of 2011, which CBRE Hotels attributed to an expected "very busy year for the hospitality market" in Singapore, compares with the 81.8-83 percent level registered in the January-February period, said a Straits Times report.

Singapore room rates current average $168.50 a night at mid-tier hotels on the island, according to data from the Singapore Tourism Board quoted by the Straits Times.

On the other hand, data compiled by hotels.com based on online bookings made and paid for by US travelers show Singapore room rates averaging $196 a night in 2010.

The online.com list ranks Singapore hotel room rates the second-highest, next to Langkawi, Malaysia, where travelers paid an average $201 per night last year.

This year's increase in room rates in Singapore, according to the CBRE Hotels survey, will be influenced by the rise of integrated resorts and the opening of the new International Cruise Terminal.

This year's projected increase follows last year's 11.3 percent rise in room rates islandwide, according to tourism industry data.

CBRE Hotels Asia is part of the global full-service real estate group focused exclusively on the hospitality industry.