SAM Magazine—Denver, May 21, 2018—Western mountain destinations eked out a lodging revenue increase of 1.8 percent over last year as of April 30. The aggregated figure set a new revenue record among participating properties, even though occupancy finished the season down one percent compared to the previous winter. Increases in the average daily rate (ADR) elevated total revenues. The season-end summary was reported by Inntopia in its monthly DestiMetrics Market Briefing.

Data for the report comes from approximately 290 property management companies in 20 mountain destination communities, representing approximately 30,000 rooms across Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

The erratic snow patterns that persisted in many western destinations until mid-February created booking challenges, and lodging properties adjusted rates to keep visitors coming. Then late season storms and an early April Easter holiday boosted the month of April to a notable 6.5 percent increase in occupancy. While the ADR was down for the month, revenues rose 5.4 percent compared to last April, and contributed to a strong finish for the season.

“Many areas did much better than they were expecting back in December and January,” observed Tom Foley, vice president of Business Intelligence for Inntopia. Resorts in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho saw the most consistent snow, and the strongest seasons.

“Looking forward to summer, barring any major economic or geopolitical disruptions, this should be another very strong summer for western mountain destinations,” Foley noted.

As of April 30, reservations from May through October are up 4.2 percent compared to last year at this time, with increases in every month except September, which is down a slight 1.8 percent.

Aggregated ADR is up three percent and is also showing increases in five of the six months—all but August, which shows a scant 0.4 percent decline. The combination of growing occupancy and ADR is delivering a strong 7.1 percent gain in summer revenues compared to this time last year.

However, the monthly Briefing illustrated some notable regional differences in booking patterns. Resorts in the Northern Rockies (Mont., Wyo., and Idaho) are experiencing declines in reservations in every summer month, ranging from a 3.6 percent drop in July to a 21.4 percent drop in October, and an overall 10 percent decline for the full summer. In contrast, the southern Rockies (central and southern Colorado, Utah) and California are reporting increased reservations in all six summer months with an aggregated increase of seven percent compared to last summer at this time.

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