SAM Magazine—Winter Park, Colo., Aug. 14, 2025—Western mountain lodging properties reversed a June slowdown in July by lowering daily rates more sharply than any time since September 2023, according to Inntopia’s monthly Market Briefing. The move boosted bookings for the rest of summer and into early winter.

Data for the Briefing are drawn from DestiMetrics and represent activity for approximately 28,000 lodging units in 17 mountain destination communities across Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. These units represent an aggregated 55 percent of all available rental units in those regions. 

“At the midway point of the summer season, we are seeing a fundamental change in how properties are managing their summer pricing strategies as economic uncertainty continues to challenge consumers and destination travel suppliers,” said Tom Foley, senior vice president of business intelligence for Inntopia and author of the monthly the Briefing. “The result was a strong reversal from last month’s weakening demand.” 

July occupancy fell just 0.8 percent year-over-year, an improvement from the 4.2 percent decline posted as of June 30, while the average daily rate (ADR) rose 1.8 percent. This pushed revenue up 0.9 percent. For the full May–October period, occupancy is now up 1 percent over last year and ADR is up 2.1 percent.

Booking pace for arrivals through December jumped 13.2 percent, with all months except October posting gains. Foley credited “more relaxed rates” for flipping summer occupancy from down 0.5 percent last month to up 1 percent now, the first positive reading since before the season began in April.

International visitation remains weak, but Canadian declines eased slightly, and bookings from Mexico grew 6.7 percent. Economy-tier properties saw the biggest lift from rate cuts, with occupancy up 5.5 percent.

Foley said the July rebound shows that “careful rate management … will be the key to a successful second half of the summer season and likely the upcoming winter.”