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U.S. Hotels Post Strong Q1 Gains but Operators Forecast Softer Revenue

The data indicate hotels must protect room rates, boost guest spend beyond rooms, and tighten operating costs to sustain profits.

Overview

  • Q1 2026 showed clear momentum with average daily rate up about 6% to $202.63, RevPAR up 8.7% to $129.46, TrevPAR up 9.4% to $174.83, occupancy up 1.5 percentage points, and GOP margin rising four points to 41.8%.
  • Operators have turned cautious for Q2–Q4, forecasting only a modest ADR rise of 1.6% while expecting RevPAR to fall about 1.3% and TrevPAR to drop roughly 2.6% versus the same period in 2025.
  • Those forward forecasts sit below operators’ 2026 budgets, with ADR about $5.11, RevPAR about $5.89, and TrevPAR about $12.02 under budget, signaling pressure on planned revenue targets.
  • Independent weekly performance data through mid-May show ongoing short-term gains but wide market dispersion, with strong results in Orlando and San Francisco and notable weakness in San Diego and Detroit.
  • The gap between chain scales is widening: luxury and upper-upscale properties led gains while economy hotels lagged, which makes growing ancillary revenue such as food and beverage, resort fees, and parking—captured in TrevPAR—central to preserving profits and staffing levels.