Global hotel occupancy and average daily rates are outpacing pre-pandemic levels, although booking windows remain short, according to data released on Thursday by Amadeus.
According to Amadeus' Demand360 data, which is based on bookings from the past two years and forward bookings up to a year in advance from 30,000 providers, global hotel occupancy this year first surpassed 2019 levels in April. By May, it reached 63 percent, compared with 60 percent in May 2019. Within the U.S., May hotel occupancy was 68 percent, Amadeus reported.
So far in in June, July and August, global hotel occupancy is about 1 percent below 2019 levels, but Amadeus noted that, lest any corporate travel buyers think that presents an opportunity for lower rates, the numbers are likely to improve as the summer rolls on.
Amadeus data shows that more than half of trips globally are being booked within a week of travel. In the U.S., 55 percent of bookings are coming a week before travel, though travelers are planning further ahead in major European markets. Bookings within the seven-day window account for 33 percent of bookings in France, 35 percent in Germany, 36 percent in Spain and 39 percent in the U.K., the data indicated.
The close-in bookings "should give hoteliers the confidence to keep their room rates steady and not be tempted to drop them to attract more business," according to Amadeus VP of data partnerships for hospitality Katie Moro.
Rates already are outpacing 2019 on a global basis, with forward-booking data for June through August showing a worldwide average daily rate of $200, 11 percent higher than the same period in 2019. Within some countries, the increase is higher, such as France, which is seeing an average daily rate of $428 for July, an increase of 29 percent compared with July 2019.
Amadeus' data also shows increasing car rental demand for the summer. Bookings for the June-through-August period are up 33 percent year over year with an average rental length of six days, up a day compared with the previous year. Average daily rates for car rental are up as well, to $102 compared with $92 last year.
Car rental pricing data includes taxes and fees, although hotel average daily rates do not, according to an Amadeus spokesperson.