Previous Message

A majority of hotels in the 2026 World Cup’s 11 U.S. host cities are reporting underwhelming demand for stays during the tournament, according to new data released Monday by the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

The AHLA, which represents more than 30,000 properties nationwide, surveyed members in the host cities, and close to 80 percent of respondents reported that bookings are “tracking below initial forecasts” for the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19.

...

The report also says that some properties are “pausing investments around World Cup-specific activations, brand partnerships, and temporary renovations amid uncertainty” due to slower-than-expected demand. It also warns that if bookings fall below expectations, host cities will not generate the tax revenue that FIFA and others promised.

...

The AHLA report does not mention that hotels themselves may have had an impact in deterring international travel. In December, shortly after the World Cup draw, The Athletic analyzed hotel prices in the tournament’s 16 host cities. The 96 hotels in our sample were, on average, charging $1,013 per night around the opening match in their respective cities, compared with $293 for an equivalent stay in late-May, exactly three weeks earlier. The average increase was 328 percent.

In many cases, those prices have now fallen significantly. A follow-up analysis last month found that, on average in the 11 U.S. cities, the mid-June rates have been slashed by more than 40 percent from their peak a few months ago.