ITB Berlin 2026: Hotel booking lead time increases 14% compared to last year, according to RateGain’s data

• ADR increases nearly 5%, reaching €146.86, per night while average stay slightly declines up to 2.1%

• After Sojern acquisition last November, RateGain is today one of the world’s largest processors of electronic transactions, pricing, and traveler intent signals, helping travel companies anticipate demand, optimize pricing, and drive better business outcomes.

Berlin -  RateGain, a global leader in AI-powered SaaS solutions for the travel and hospitality industry, has today released new data on hotel booking patterns for the upcoming ITB Berlin tradeshow, which will be held from March 3–5. The analysis, based on RateGain’s Adara data exchange platform for bookings for the period comprising March 2–7, shows a notable shift in booking behavior compared to last year.

Specifically, attendees are reserving their hotels stays nearly three months in advance (84.75 days), representing a 13.9% increase from 74.4 days last year. The Average Daily Rate (ADR) also rises to €146.86 per night, up 4.9% from €140, while the average length of stay remains stable at 2.74 nights, slightly down 2.1% from 2.8 nights in 2025.

This increase in lead time highlights a clear shift in traveler behavior. Attendees are planning their trips further in advance, looking for better availability and optimal rates. We’re also seeing modest growth in nightly rates, while the length of stay remains relatively stable, which suggests travelers are seeking predictability without extending their trips unnecessarily. For hotels, these patterns underscore the importance of anticipating demand and using data-driven insights to manage pricing, inventory, and guest experiences more effectively. Understanding these trends allows hotels to balance occupancy and revenue while responding to evolving traveler expectations

Yogueesh Chandra, Head of Strategy at RateGain

RateGain’s AI-driven solutions are helping hotels translate these insights into actionable strategies. From real-time rate and availability updates to AI-powered guest engagement via its multilingual voice agent UNO VIVA, hotels can now optimize revenue throughout the entire traveler journey. These capabilities turn fragmented demand signals and complex workflows into clear, data-driven decisions on pricing, distribution, and direct bookings.

Our AI technology empowers hotels to act confidently across all commercial layers, maximizing revenue from discovery to booking to guest retention. By integrating intelligence into acquisition, pricing, distribution, and guest engagement, we help hotels anticipate demand and unlock value in ways that were not possible before. Combined with RateGain’s strengths in traveler intent data, revenue optimization, pricing intelligence, and channel connectivity, this creates a unified AI-powered platform that turns complex market signals into actionable insights

Yogueesh Chandra, Head of Strategy at RateGain

These insights are made possible thanks to RateGain’s leadership in travel intent data, strengthened by the acquisition of Sojern last November. Today, RateGain is one of the world’s largest processors of electronic transactions, pricing, and traveler intent signals, helping hotels, airlines, meta-search platforms, package providers, car rentals, cruises, and travel management companies anticipate demand, optimize pricing, and drive better business outcomes.

Bhanu Chopra, CEO and Founder at RateGain will be speaking at ITB Berlin. Details as follows:

Panel Name: AI and the New Power Map of Travel

• When: Wednesday, 4th March 2026, 12:35 pm CET (35 Min.)

• Where: ITB Berlin Convention, ITB Marketing & Distribution Track, Hall 7.1a (Center Stage) Other Panelist:

  • Matthijs Welle, CEO at Mews

  •  Patrick Andrae, Co-Founder & CEO, HomeToGo

  • Moderator: Lea Jordan