SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Oct. 14, 2025—The summer season at Western mountain destinations (May-October) appears set to finish slightly up from last year, and the winter season is shaping up similarly. That's the view from DestiMetrics, part of the business intelligence platform of Inntopia, which tracks lodging performance in 17 resort destinations across Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

“The last few months have demonstrated that consumers are price-picky,” said Tom Foley, director of business intelligence for Inntopia. That stems in part from the current lack of data about jobs and inflation due to the government shutdown and uncertainty about the future direction of the economy.

Actual occupancy in September was down a miniscule 0.1 percent year-over-year. The average daily rate (ADR) was up 2.6 percent, which led to a 2.5 percent gain in revenues for the month.

The full summer is faring a bit better. As of Sept. 30, occupancy was up 1.3 percent with June, August, and October posting increases. ADR for the summer was up 1.8 percent with modest gains in all months but August, which was flat. This delivered a 3.1 percent year-over-year gain in summer revenues through September.

Occupancy on-the-books for November through March is down a scant 0.2 percent compared to last year at this time, with gains currently appearing for both December and January. Daily rates for the winter are up 2.3 percent, though rates in December and January are slightly lower than a year ago. Overall, properties are showing a 2.1 percent increase in on-the-books revenue.

“Summer’s price sensitivity is definitely continuing into winter, with the biggest occupancy gains appearing in the months that rate is down from last year,” observed Foley. “What we’re seeing is that winter is shaping up like the summer, with modest occupancy gains based on slight tweaks to rates—and that is delivering moderate revenue gains.

"So, as usual, at this point in the pre-season, the uncontrollable wildcards of weather and economic conditions will have a considerable influence on the coming season,” he said.

A positive note: Booking pace during September for arrivals in September through February jumped 10.1 percent in comparison to last year at this time with every month except January recording gains in pacing. October arrivals are up 7.4 percent while February is posting a substantial 23 percent gain.

“The current booking pace this early in the season suggests an opportunity for lodging properties if they remain sensitive to their customers and nimble in their pricing strategies and demand shifts,” Foley concluded.