SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Sept. 15, 2026—Lodging occupancy at western mountain destinations wobbled in August while daily rates for the full summer season remained near their highest levels ever and early returns for winter showed occupancy down as rate pressure for those months became increasingly apparent, according to the DestiMetrics monthly Market Briefing released by Inntopia last week. 

Compared to last August, occupancy for the month was down 2.9 percent, but the average daily rate (ADR) for the month was up a strong 6 percent, combining for aggregated revenues gains of 3 percent. Occupancy booking pace retreated significantly during August and finished the month down 9.4 percent compared to last year—the weakest booking pace since the snow drought last March.

However, fall picked up with the shift to September and October occupancy helping to balance the August decline. August slipped from a 1.5 percent occupancy increase in July to a 2.9 percent loss by Aug. 31. In contrast, September occupancy rose from a 7.6 percent to an 8.3 percent gain while October improved even more and is now up 5.6 percent compared to last October. 

Tom Foley, director of Business Intelligence for Inntopia, also pointed out that, “it is clear that consumers are showing signs of value hunting and taking advantage of the less expensive months—also seen in a slight uptick in the length-of-stay for those two months.”

Summer occupancy as of Aug. 31 for May through October stays was up 2.7 percent with gains in all months except August. ADR for the summer is up a solid 5.5 percent, delivering a 7.9 percent gain in summer revenue. The months of May and September showed the greatest improvements year-over-year with revenue gains of 12.5 percent for May and 16.5 percent for September.

Data for the first four months of the winter season reveal that occupancy for November through February as of Aug. 31 was down 5.6 percent compared to the same time last year with declines in all four months, most notably in December—down 9 percent. On-the-books ADR for the four months is up a slight 1percent, but a monthly analysis shows that only December is posting a decline in rates—down 2 percent—leading to a 4.7 percent decline in early winter revenue.

Even though this is still early in the season, bookings made for winter arrivals during August compared to bookings made last August for the same time, showed sharp declines. The booking pace for November arrivals is down 20.8 percent and for December arrivals is down 28.3 percent.

“With airfares up more than 23 percent and gas up 27 percent, inflation is outpacing wages for the fifth straight month, and that is making getting to the slopes a significantly more expensive proposition than one year ago—before we even factor in the cost of lodging, food, and lift tickets,” reported Foley. “Throw in a likely interest rate hike this month and it is no surprise that we’re seeing evidence of cautious spending and a focus on value options like fall travel. It is still very early in the booking season, but the declines we are seeing at the moment are notable with occupancy declines in all winter months despite daily rates that are practically flat after several consecutive years of very strong growth.”

International visits nudged up due to an uptick in bookings for summer arrivals from Western European visitors, which were down 9.3 percent at the end of July and improved to being down just 1.8 percent for the summer as of Aug. 31. This momentum offset a downturn from other regions. 

Canada is the only one of the four leading inbound markets that is up compared to last summer—gaining 15 percent—which is, however, a softening from the end of July and about 40 percent below 2024 levels. Tariffs are the leading the cause for the downturn as Canadian consumers (who represent the vast majority of international visitors) actively expand their boycott to U.S. destinations. Recovery of the international market to 2024 levels is unlikely to materialize for at least several years.

Finally, luxury properties at $401/night and above continue to lead summer lodging performance with gains in both occupancy and daily rates leading to an 11.8 percent gain in summer revenue. Moderate properties at $251–$400/night posted a 3.5 percent increase in revenue. However, the economy-priced category, with rates up to $250/night, are struggling with declines in both occupancy and ADR, resulting in a 2.5 percent decline in summer revenue.