Durham, New Hampshire USA – Hotel room rates in the top-25 most popular U.S. destinations are averaging $219.06 this October, up from $212.57 in September, according to online hotel rooom price indices from trivago's unique global multi-provider platform¹. The U.S. online average daily rate (oADR), the industry's best analytic for competitive pricing, currently ranges among the top-25 destinations from a high of $414 to a low of $113 this October. Based on industry surveys, e−forecasting.com estimates that in 2016 about 65% of all reservations are made online via brand websites and travel agent merchant websites, compared with only one-fourth eight years ago.

On year-over-year basis, the U.S. average online ADR is up (+0.6%) in October from a year ago, lower than the previous month's year-over-year growth rate of (+0.9%). This October, the average trivago online room rate in Boston, despite a dip of (−7.6%) from last year, hit $414 a night, making the city the most expensive destination among the top-25 U.S. hotel markets. New York takes the second place in October with an online room rate of $390, after a drop of (−5.8%) from a year ago. In Washington D.C., the online room rate in October is growing (+2.4%) from last year to $339 a night, ranking the city in the third place of the most expensive destinations in the United States.

At the bottom of the list, the three least expensive, or most affordable, cities to visit this October are: Salt Lake City recording a trivago online ADR of $131 a night after a (−3.7%) change from a year ago; Houston posts an online ADR of $125 following a (−12.6%) change from last year; and lastly, the most affordable popular destination in the country is San Antonio with an online ADR of $113 after a nil change from a year ago. With a median online ADR of $182 amongst the top-25 most popular U.S. destinations, Atlanta is the country's average affordable city to visit this October.

Moving from data to hotel-biz-analytics®, e−forecasting.com's Smoothed Seasonally Adjusted (SSA)² U.S. average online room rate has hit $202.73 in October. On a month-over-month basis - the hoteliers' analytic for tracking changes of what's now vs. what's happened in comparison to twelve months ago - the SSA online ADR this October is up (+0.4%) from the previous month, which is the same percent change as in the previous month. Looking at the top-25 hotel destinations, the month-to-month percent change in October ranges from a high of (+1.9%) in Seattle to a low of (−1.4%) in New York. Amongst the top-25 destinations, the SSA online monthly room rate is growing in 18 cities; and is falling or staying flat in 7 cities.

"In 2017, US hoteliers' online ADR is forecast to average $199.46, an increase of just 0.4% from 2016," said Maria Sogard, CEO of e­forecasting.com. For a complimentary copy of the full US Monthly Hotel Forecast with two-year predictions of occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, online ADR, costs per room, profitability and predictive analytics for investing in hotel properties, email us at [email protected] with subject: USHOTfcast.

Looking at profitability, hoteliers' ultimate gauge for decision-making, profits per room are down (−2.0%) on a year-over-year basis in October, since U.S. trivago's average online room rate has gained (+0.6%) while e−forecasting.com national unit (per room) cost index is up (+2.6%). For U.S. hoteliers, year-over-year profit margins posted a reading of (−0.9%) in the previous month (September), compared to a mark of (+2.4%) a year ago (October 2015). Using trivago's online hotel room rates for the top-25 U.S. destinations and e−forecasting.com's city-centric hotel unit (room) cost indices, year-over-year percent change in profits per room currently range from a high of (+48.8%) in Miami to a low of (−15.2%) in Houston in October. Amongst the top-25 destinations, profits per room are up in 8 cities; they are down or are flat in 17 cities.

On tracking monthly the risk for business losses in providing services per room, the probability for U.S. hoteliers being in a negative profits (losses) phase of the industry's business cycle hit 46% in October, which is higher than September's reading of 38%. In the top-25 hotel destinations, the risk for hoteliers being in a period of losses per room in October ranges from a high of 99% in Houston to a low of 1% in Seattle. The probability of losses per room is above 50% in 10 cities; it is 50% or below in 15 cities.

In addition to reporting on forecasts of the hotel metrics of occupancy, online ADR, RevPAR, unit costs and unit profits, the Monthly Hotel Forecasts for the US also provide in depth analysis of the economic environment and how it relates to the forecast for each hotel market. This additional analysis includes country-wide hotel industry pulse (HIP) and hotel industry leading indicator (HIL) monthly readings, probabilities of an upcoming recession in the hotel industry, the country's monthly GDP, a foreign travel leading indicator specific to each market, labor market conditions, inflation, exchange and interest rates, energy prices and special events. Each Monthly Hotel Forecast includes predictions for 24 months, 8 quarters and three years out for each of the key hotel performance metrics. It is available on an annual subscription basis. Geographic coverage of hotel market forecasts also includes key European, Middle East and North African markets using historical data from HotStats, the hospitality intelligence provider.

About trivago

Founded in Düsseldorf in 2005 with operations in 39 countries, trivago is the world's largest online hotel search site, comparing room rates from over 700,000 hotels on over 200 booking sites worldwide. Each month, more than 45 million visitors use trivago's unique online technology, which compares 5 billion hotel deals a day - more than a trillion a year - and saves them an average of 35% per booking. Visit online http://www.trivago.com.

About HIP

The Hotel Industry Pulse, or HIP for short, is a hotel industry indicator that was created to fill the void of a real-time monthly indicator for the hotel industry that captures current conditions. The indicator provides useful information about the timing and degree of the industry"s link with the US business cycle for the last four decades. Simply put, it tracks monthly overall business conditions in the industry, like an industry GDP, and points in a timely way to the changes in direction from growth to recession or vice versa. The composite indicator is made with the following components: revenues from consumers staying at hotels and motels adjusted for inflation, room occupancy rate and hotel employment, along with other key economic factors which influence hotel business activity.

About e-forecasting.com

e-forecasting.com, an international economic research and consulting firm, offers forecasts of the economic environment using proprietary, real-time economic indicators to produce customized solutions for what"s next. e−forecasting.com collaborates with domestic and international clients and publications to provide timely economic content for use as predictive intelligence to strengthen its clients" competitive advantage.

Maria Simos Sogard
Chief Executive Officer
+011 (603) 868-7436
e-forecasting.com