Corporate transient bookings at U.S. hotels in 2025 through the beginning of April dropped 4 percent year over year, according to a report from hospitality analytics firm Kalibri Labs, released Tuesday. Government per diem bookings, meanwhile dropped 9 percent year over year during the same time period, according to the company.
Corporate transient bookings that were on the books for up to 30 days in the future also were running 4 percent lower than they were last year, according to the company, while government per diem bookings were 20 percent lower.
Kalibri Labs studied performance data through April 5 at more than 35,000 U.S. hotels to assess what it called "the impact of geopolitical and macroeconomic shifts" on U.S. lodging demand.
"The findings underscore mounting pressure on hotel performance, particularly within the government and corporate travel segments," according to Kalibri. "The data reveal significant variation by segment, chain class and location, indicating that while some markets are demonstrating resilience, most are experiencing notable contractions—both in government bookings and broader rate categories."
Broad economic uncertainty and a turbulent stock market in recent months have increased some hesitationin corporate travel demand as buyers closely watch market conditions. Meanwhile, U.S. federal government travel has been curtailed in President Trump's second term after he issued an executive order that directed federal government agencies to bar "non-essential" travel, such as trips for conference attendance, and freeze credit cards for 30 days. This was issued to empower the Department of Government Efficiency, the new organization whose actions to reduce spending has curbed business travel activity.
Overall U.S. room night production through April 5 declined 1 percent year over year, according to the report. Demand at about 53 percent of the more than 330 markets Kalibri assessed either held steady or dropped by single-digit percentages year over year. Another 7 percent declined by more.
The decline in corporate bookings largely was consistent throughout the various types of American markets, including large cities, midsized and smaller cities and more rural areas, according to Kalibri.
Corporate transient demand in the Washington, D.C., area, including surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia, held steady year over year through April 5, even as government per diem bookings dropped 20 percent. March corporate transient bookings in the area actually increased 5 percent, according to Kalibri, but forward bookings for the next 30 days were 15 percent lower than they were in 2024. Government forward bookings were down 44 percent.
Corporate transient demand in 2025 weakened more significantly in lower tiers, according to the company. Such demand declined 13 percent year over year through April 5 in midscale properties and 8 percent in economy-tier hotels but dropped only 1 percent in upper upscale and upscale properties. Conversely, 30-day booking trends were up 7 percent year over year in economy and midscale properties but were down 8 percent and 11 percent in the upper upscale and upscale tiers, respectively.