# US Hotel Occupancy Rate Shows Yearly Increase Hotel occupancy rose 4.4% year-over-year in the first week of 2026. - **Source:** [Calculated Risk](https://www.calculatedriskblog.com) - **Published:** 2026-01-11 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/aceef1eb-1313-4a9b-81a3-b15e3e012194 ## Positive Start to 2026 The U.S. hotel industry showed positive year-over-year performance in the first week of 2026. Occupancy reached 50.5% for the week ending January 3, marking a 4.4% increase from the previous year. This data indicates continuing recovery in the travel sector. ## Revenue Metrics on the Rise Average daily rate (ADR) increased 3.4% to $175.47, while revenue per available room (RevPAR) saw a significant 7.9% jump to $88.65. These gains demonstrate successful pricing and occupancy strategies by hotel operators. ## Seasonal Fluctuations Early January typically sees low travel demand, making performance assessment challenging. However, four-week averages suggest hotel occupancy rates will continue seasonal growth in coming months. ## Historical Comparison Charts compare 2026 performance (red line) with the record year 2018 (black dashed line) and 2025 data (light blue dashed line). 2018 remains the peak year for hotel occupancy in industry records. ## Analyst Perspectives Experts analyzing STR and CoStar data note this first-week increase is a positive start but advise caution due to seasonal factors. They emphasize monitoring the recovery of business travel specifically. ## Industry Implications These figures indicate the lodging sector's post-pandemic recovery. Strong RevPAR growth offers hopeful signals for hotel investors and operators, though global economic uncertainties warrant close monitoring. ## Sources covering this story - http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2026/01/hotels-occupancy-rate-increased-44-year.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._