SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Sept. 12, 2025— Western mountain lodging operators kept summer revenues in positive territory despite a softer August booking pace, according to Inntopia’s DestiMetrics Monthly Market Briefing. Occupancy for August rose 4.6 percent year over year while average daily rate (ADR) edged up 0.1 percent, yielding a 4.6 percent revenue gain versus August 2024.

With two months left in the summer span (May–October), on-the-books (OTB) occupancy as of Aug. 31 is up 0.7 percent and ADR is up 2.5 percent, with notable monthly variance—October rates are currently up about 10 percent year over year.

DestiMetrics data are drawn from 17 resort communities across the mountain West.

“As the old adage goes, ‘it ain’t over ‘til it’s over,’ but after some early season struggles back in April and May, lodging suppliers have tinkered with their pricing in response to consumer pullback and have managed to strike that delicate balance between attracting the right visitors that ensure they are maintaining their bottom line,” said Tom Foley, director of Business Intelligence for Inntopia. “What emerged over the summer was that, in general, properties with stronger gains in rate captured less occupancy, while those with softer, sometimes even reduced rates managed to pick up additional occupancy.”

Early winter indicators point to continued rate sensitivity. For November through February as of Aug. 31, OTB occupancy is down 1 percent while ADR is up 3.3 percent. November shows the steepest occupancy decline (down 10 percent), while December and January are up 5.5 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.

“The critical months of December and January are currently both gaining in revenue, even though rates are down or flat for those months,” said Foley. “And the opposite is true for November and February, with higher rates, lower occupancy, and early revenue losses.”

August booking pace (bookings made in August for the next six months) fell 5.9 percent—its sixth decline in eight months—while room nights available (RNA) contracted again, with 42,000 fewer units in August year over year and 35,000 fewer units currently available for winter as some owners occupy units, exit rental programs, or sell. 

International inbound travel remains a drag overall: international visitors are down 38.6 percent for summer, with Canada down 56.8 percent and Mexico up 15.5 percent.

By price tier, economy properties saw modest improvement in August as value-focused guests shifted downmarket: economy ADR rose 1.6 percent with a 0.6 percent lift in occupancy, producing a 2.2 percent year-over-year revenue gain for the month. Moderate properties were essentially flat, and luxury properties lost occupancy while attempting to lift rate.

“The data clearly shows that rate increases—whether month-over-month or year-over-year—inhibit booking volume while softer rates are attracting stays,” said Foley. “But as we look ahead to winter, at this point it is a mixed bag, with two months up and two months down, but facing the same consumer hesitation that we’ve been tracking since April.

“What we do know though is that everything from lowering interest rates, global tensions, and a few early season storms can dramatically change the dynamics in a very short time,” he added.