U.S. hotel results for week ending 23 May
U.S. hotel industry posted RevPAR growth of 4.6% for the week of 17-23 May 2026, with Tampa leading Top 25 Markets on all three key metrics, boosted by SOF Week.
News
Closet-cationers: Latest Booking.com Research Reveals Majority of LGBTQ+ Travelers Conceal Their Identity When Traveling
Booking.com survey of 13,300+ LGBTQ+ travelers across 19 countries finds only 31% are out when traveling, with 40% willing to hide their identity to visit a bucket-list destination.
Expedia Group Unveils New Global Research Showing Traveler Demand for Full Trip Planning
A Harris Poll survey of 2,500 travelers across 10 markets finds 77% likely to book multiple trip elements on one platform, with Expedia Group expanding its Rapid API ecosystem to capture demand.
International tourism up 2% in Q1 2026 amid growing uncertainty
UN Tourism reports 307 million international arrivals in Q1 2026, up 2%, but the Middle East conflict is expected to cut full-year growth by 1-2 percentage points below the initial 3-4% forecast.
2026 European Accommodation Barometer: Challenges, Concerns & Diverging Outlooks Despite Ongoing Optimism
Booking.com's 2026 Barometer, surveying 1,240 European accommodation executives across 24 markets, finds broad optimism but a growing performance and preparedness gap between large chains and small independents.
U.S. Hotel Forecast Assumptions – June 2026
CoStar and Tourism Economics raise 2026 U.S. RevPAR growth forecast to +2.8%, citing strong leisure and group demand, World Cup tailwinds, and reduced supply growth of +0.4%.
CoStar, Tourism Economics raise U.S. hotel growth forecast
CoStar and Tourism Economics upgraded their 2026 U.S. hotel forecast, with RevPAR up 2.2 ppts, driven by 8M+ additional room nights YoY through April, though expense growth will continue to pressure profit margins.
Announcing the Release of Lodging Analytics Research & Consulting (LARC)’s 2Q-2026 Hotel Industry Outlook and Market Intelligence Reports
LARC's 2Q-2026 outlook projects U.S. RevPAR rising 3.4% to $103.48, EBTDA up 5.4%, and hotel values up 3%, with GIS-based forecasts covering 19,000+ geographies nationwide.
How Convention Centers Change Hotel Markets
HVS outlines a methodology using daily occupancy and ADR data to more accurately measure how convention center events drive hotel market compression, pricing power, and incremental room revenue.
By Thomas Hazinski, Managing Director of HVS Convention, Sports, & Entertainment Facilities Consulting in Chicago, HVS
HVS U.S. Market Pulse: May 2026
HVS raises its 2026 U.S. RevPAR growth forecast from 2.2% to 3.0%, citing strong YTD performance, domestic travel shifts, and a rebound in convention demand, while hotel transactions remain subdued with cap rates near 8.5%.
By Rodney Clough, President - HVS Americas, Denver, HVS
Removing CBP Officers from Newark Liberty Will Strand Americans, Devastate Travel Economy
The removal of CBP officers from Newark Liberty and other international airports would cost $8B in visitor spending, threaten 50,000 jobs, and disrupt millions of travelers weeks before the FIFA World Cup.
Upward Trajectory: Continued Recovery of the Manhattan Hotel Market
HVS forecasts full Manhattan hotel market recovery beyond 2019 levels by 2027/28, with 2025 ADR already 34% above pre-pandemic highs, though tariffs and geopolitical shifts pose short-term headwinds.
By Roland de Milleret and Patricia Shih
Beyond the final whistle: how mega sporting events transform cities
Budapest's hosting of the UEFA Champions League Final is examined through the lens of sports tourism strategy, with the 2024 London final generating €91M in GVA and 77,000 international visitors as a benchmark.
By László Bene and Balázs Füredi
The Hotels Leading the Industry in 2026: Trends, Brands & Why They're Winning
A 2026 industry overview identifies luxury, lifestyle, wellness, extended stay, tech-forward, and adaptive reuse hotels as the six leading segments, with revenue forecast to reach $940B.
By Nasir Zahir
Not One Size Fits All: How Travelers Are Actually Using AI to Plan Trips — Cornell Research
Cornell survey of 1,029 U.S. travelers finds AI ranks 4th in travel planning tools, with accuracy concerns cited by 60%+ as the top barrier, and adoption motivations varying sharply across Budget, Premium, Aspirational, and Luxury segments.
By Young Jang and Chris K. Anderson
Mexico leads North America in Travel & Tourism growth, spend and arrivals in 2025
WTTC's 2026 EIR data shows Mexico led North America in T&T GDP growth (1.8%), international arrivals (+6.1%), and visitor spending (+3.5%) in 2025, while the US and Canada both recorded spending declines.
Central & South America Travel & Tourism sector set to outpace global growth in 2026
WTTC's 2026 EIR forecasts Travel & Tourism GDP growth of 4.1% for Central and South America, ahead of the 3.2% global average, with international visitor spending up 7.8%.
Gen Z Checks In: The Rise of the Lifestyle Hotel
CBRE's report finds lifestyle hotels are underpenetrated in Asia Pacific but poised for growth, with Gen Z's rising spending power and preference for culture and design set to accelerate demand.
2026 State of Hostels Report Reveals Pricing Pressure, Rising OTA Dominance, and Uneven Global Performance
Cloudbeds analyzed 32 million bookings across 180 countries, finding dorm ADR fell 8.2% while OTA share rose to 73.7% globally, with cancellation rates more than double those of direct bookings.
The 2026 Hotel Profit Story Will Be Won in the Space Between Demand and Discipline
Q1 2026 U.S. hotel data from ~5,000 properties shows ADR up 6%, RevPAR up 8.7%, and GOP margin up 4 points, but the Q2-Q4 forecast signals a revenue reset with RevPAR expected to fall 1.3%.
By Sarah McCay Tams, Head of Editorial, Actabl