U.S. Hotel Forecast Assumptions – February 2026
STR/Tourism Economics projects 0.6% RevPAR growth for 2026, driven by modest demand recovery and 2026 FIFA World Cup impact offsetting continued economic headwinds.
STR/Tourism Economics projects 0.6% RevPAR growth for 2026, driven by modest demand recovery and 2026 FIFA World Cup impact offsetting continued economic headwinds.
GBTA survey of 571 professionals shows 78% are concerned about proposed ESTA changes, with 43% more likely to hold meetings outside the U.S.
Overall U.S. performance shows occupancy down 4.3% and RevPAR down 4.0%, with Nashville seeing unusual gains due to Winter Storm Fern displacement bookings.
WTTC survey of 4,563 travelers across nine ESTA-eligible countries shows 34% would be less likely to visit the U.S. if social media screening requirements are implemented.
CoStar data shows all key metrics declined year-over-year, with Minneapolis leading gains and Washington D.C. seeing steepest drops.
The survey of 1,714 Americans found younger generations drive milestone travel, with 89% of Gen Z planning trips around celebrations versus 57% of Baby Boomers.
National hotel occupancy reached 66% with 70 million occupied rooms, while luxury properties led RevPAR growth at 8.7%.
AHLA projects $805 billion in guest spending and 30,000 new jobs in 2026, with GOPPAR still at 90% of pre-pandemic levels due to rising costs.
Research reveals Top 10% of U.S. households will drive $544 billion in leisure travel by 2026, with trip frequency and spending surging since 2022.
CoStar projects modest growth with RevPAR rising 1.4% in 2027, below the long-term average, driven by World Cup markets and higher-tier hotels.
CoStar data shows U.S. hotels achieved 1.6% RevPAR growth, with Miami leading ADR gains due to the College Football Championship while D.C. declined 32% against tough inauguration comparisons.
British Columbia led with 70.4% occupancy while Montreal was the only major market to decline in both occupancy and RevPAR.
CoStar data shows 2025 marked the first year since 2020 with declining occupancy (-1.2%) and RevPAR (-0.3%), though ADR grew 0.9% nationally.
The U.S. hotel industry reported negative year-over-year comparisons, according to CoStar’s latest data through 10 January. CoStar is a leading global provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets.
U.S. hotels posted 7.9% RevPAR growth during holiday week, with Miami leading at +26.4% while Tampa dropped 19.4%.
Research based on millions of bookings shows premium travel costs rising sharply while economy options decline, driving 60% of travelers to use advisors.
Ontario led declines with RevPAR down 8.1%, while Toronto's drops reflected tough comparisons against Taylor Swift's 2024 tour impact.
Occupancy declined 2.8% marking nine straight months of year-over-year drops, with Tampa hit hardest due to Hurricane Milton displacement effects.
CoStar data shows U.S. hotels faced occupancy decline of 1.6% while ADR rose modestly 0.4%, with New Orleans hit hardest by RevPAR drop of 29.9%.
First Hospitality outperformed industry benchmarks in 2025 with +3% occupancy growth and plans AI-driven search optimization tools for 2026.