Average hotel pricing for Corporate Traveler's U.S. clients was up significantly in 2025, while average airfares and car rental rates declined, according to the travel management company's annual year in review, published on Friday.
The report, based on more than 700,000 bookings made last year by midmarket-focused Corporate Traveler clients in the U.S. as well as analysis by Corporate Traveler executives, showed clients paid an average of $836 per flight in 2025, down 6 percent year over year, and $75 per car rental day, down 4 percent. The average daily hotel cost, however, increased 20.5 percent year over year to $229.
"Rather than expanding capacity, many hotel brands focused on upgrading existing properties, while inflation and higher operating costs continued to pressure rates," according to the report. "Overall increases were more moderate than in prior years, with midscale and upper-midscale brands seeing smaller gains, while luxury segments experienced sharper price hikes."
The average train fare was up 7 percent year over year to $255, Corporate Traveler said.
The report indicated that companies were moving toward "more intentional and efficient travel," with an average trip duration of 2.5 days and in increase in bookings at midscale hotels close to business hubs. Single-day trips accounted for 23.6 percent of all trips in 2025, according to the report.
Unsurprisingly, the top destinations for Corporate Traveler clients were major business hubs both in the U.S. and abroad. The report also noted secondary markets that saw significant year-over-year growth in bookings, including Green Bay, Wis. (up 108 percent); Fresno, Calif. (up 95 percent); Roanoke, Va. (up 91 percent); Palm Springs, Calif. (up 75 percent); Bozeman, Mont. (up 60 percent); and Sacramento, Calif. (up 55 percent). Secondary cities outside of the U.S. with significant growth included Halifax, Canada; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana in Mexico; and Southampton, U.K.