"May is typically one of the quieter months for accommodation providers, as we head into cooler months," McKenzie said.
"This contrasts with the summer peak, when nearly twice as many guest nights are spent in commercial accommodation."
Guest nights in the South Island increased 4.1 per cent to 971,000, while the North Island continued to record the highest number of guest nights, edging up 0.2 per cent to 1.57 million. Domestic guest stays increased 2.5 per cent to 1.49 million while international guest nights lifted 0.4 per cent to 1.05 million.
Hotels were the biggest beneficiary of the increase, with stays up 3.6 per cent to 1.05 million, while motel stays lifted 1.3 per cent to 801,000 and holiday park nights were up 1.7 per cent to 361,000. Backpacker nights dropped for a fifth straight month, down 3.7 per cent to 333,000. The data doesn't include hosted and private accommodation.
The occupancy rate across accommodation types lifted to 37.5 per cent in May from 37 per cent a year earlier.