A lot of things worked against Vero Beach tourism and hotel occupancy this summer. High gas prices, record-breaking heat, drenching humidity, and unsettling national and international events weighed on the travel industry, here and elsewhere in Florida. But the impact was uneven, with some island hotels reporting banner summers, while occupancy was down a little or a lot at other hotels.

Generally, the higher end of the market seemed to do better.

According to front desk manager DeMarko Taylor, the Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel and Spa at 3500 Ocean Dr. has been "sold out" most of the summer season.

Taylor attributes this in large part to visitors getting family travel in before the school year starts, as well as a rush of visitors from Boston, New York, Ohio and other northeast locations, along with the usual contingent of visitors from Europe.

All the new flights at Vero Beach Regional Airport – now the third busiest general aviation airport in Florida, according to the Federal Aviation Administration – significantly increased the number of out-of-state and out-of-country visitors, Taylor adds.

June was an excellent month at Costa d'Este Beach Resort & Spa, the island's other main luxury hotel, with room occupancy up 7.2 percent over last year, said Tarin Lange, the property's director of sales and marketing. May's occupancy was up over last year, too, she said.

July's numbers were down slightly from last year, but bookings for August and September trended in a positive direction compared to the same time last year, Lange said. Most summer guests seem to be driving here from within 30 to 50 miles, she added.

"We've been busy with a lot of last-minute bookings for people coming to spend a three-day weekend who end up extending their stay to four or five nights," Lange said. The hotel also hosted a number of corporate retreats and private events, she said.

"Our local traffic has been amazing, as well, for dining in the Wave Kitchen and Bar, as well as the Cabana Bar," Lange added. "Even our beach bar has been attracting a lot of locals this summer, so we're really thankful for them."

The summer season "is usually slow, and last year was the slowest ever," says Jeff McKnight, manager of the 17-room Islander Inn on Ocean Drive in the heart of Central Beach, "but this year turns out to be the best ever!"

McKnight admits he's "not quite sure why," his business was so strong this summer but speculates that "perhaps good reviews help bring people to Vero Beach from in-country and abroad."

In July, Travel & Leisure ranked Vero Beach as the second best beach town in the U.S. to invest in real estate, pegging it as a top place to buy a home before prices go up, and beach.com just named South Beach Park one of the 25 best beaches in the world, taking into account climate, accessibility, popularity and amenities along with water quality, calling Vero "one of Florida's best kept secrets."

Like Taylor, Lange notes the positive impact of Vero's growing airport, conveniently located "between Orlando and Miami."    

A few blocks away at 835 Azalea, just a few steps from Ocean Drive, business was a little slow at the 10-hotel room, 12-apartment Sea Turtle Inn.

Desk clerk Cindy Duncan says "it's been a little slower, but still pretty full – we have our locals, our core regulars, brand new people, folks from central Florida."

Duncan believes the heat, and everything currently going on in the "whole world" contributed to the slower-than-usual season.

Meanwhile, down in South Beach, Caribbean Court Boutique Hotel front desk manager Kae Merrick says that, although business is "pretty much the same, overall" this year, summer was "a little slower."

Beautifully situated within a tropically landscaped enclave at 1605 Ocean Dr., the hotel has 16 efficiencies, 18 guest rooms, a restaurant and nightclub.

Nearby, at 1526 Ocean Dr., the 32-room Prestige Hotel's current occupancy sits at about 40 percent, and summer was just as dismal, says manager Eduyta Zachriasz.

Many of her summer European regulars did not book, and still soaring gas prices continue to depress stays by some of her previously dependable regulars – long-haul truckers.

"It's bad," she says.

Statewide, tourists spent about 1.5 percent less in the first half of the year than in the first half of last year, according to Visit Florida. Canadian tourism was down about 14 percent.

Staff writer Jon Pine contributed to this report.