U.S. hotels posted a 14.2% increase in revenue per available room for the week of Sept. 20-26, the second consecutive week of double-digit growth and the third such week this month. The pace puts September on track to become the strongest month for hotel performance growth in 2026.

Average daily rate rose 7.4%, occupancy climbed 4.2 percentage points, and room demand gained 6.7% against the same week in 2025. The gains extend a run that has defined the year: U.S. hotels have recorded year-over-year growth across all major performance metrics in 23 of the past 24 weeks.

Luxury leads on group demand

Luxury hotels led all chain scales with a 19.9% RevPAR increase, the largest weekly gain recorded by any class in 2026. ADR rose 8.9% and demand gained 11%, the strongest demand growth of the year for the segment.

Luxury and upper-upscale hotels combined for a 17.7% RevPAR increase, supported by a 20.6% rise in group demand. The two classes sold approximately 2.3 million group room nights during the week, the fourth-highest weekly total of 2026.

The calendar amplified the numbers. Yom Kippur fell on Sunday and Monday of the reporting week, a period that historically softens business travel. The 2025 comparison week, meanwhile, included Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 22-24, which tempered group and corporate demand a year ago. Against that easier comp, luxury and upper-upscale hotels sold roughly 395,000 more group room nights than in the comparable week last year.

Weekday rooms carried the week

Weekday demand accounted for most of the national growth. RevPAR increased 17.2% across the Sunday-through-Thursday period, nearly double the weekend pace. U.S. hotels sold approximately 1.4 million more room nights than in the corresponding week last year — the largest weekday demand increase of 2026. Every weekday recorded double-digit RevPAR growth, led by Tuesday and Wednesday, which each exceeded 21%.

The top 25 metropolitan markets captured the bulk of the weekday surge. All 25 posted weekday RevPAR growth, combining for a 22.9% increase. Orlando, San Francisco, Miami, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and Chicago each posted RevPAR gains near or above 30%. The breadth of the growth across the largest markets was expected given the comp. The magnitude was not.

College football drove secondary-market weekends

Weekend performance was comparatively moderate, with RevPAR up 8.5% from Friday through Saturday. Growth was strongest outside the top 25 markets, which collectively posted an 11.7% increase in weekend RevPAR.

Much of that strength sat in markets hosting major college football games. Seven separate markets recorded weekend RevPAR growth exceeding 100%, an unusually high count for a single week.

Knoxville, Tennessee, offered the clearest example. The market led the nation in RevPAR growth for the week at 99.7%, aided by one of the season's most anticipated matchups against top-ranked Texas. Similar patterns appeared across college football destinations throughout the South and Midwest, where home-game schedules produced outsized weekend gains.

The split defines the week's demand structure: major markets earned their gains on weekdays, while college football markets drove the strongest weekend increases.

Global RevPAR accelerates

On a comparable-hotel, constant-dollar basis excluding the U.S., global RevPAR advanced 8.4%, the largest weekly gain in 12 weeks. ADR led the growth at 9.4%, the largest increase in recent memory. The gains were widespread, with only the Middle East/Africa declining due to the ongoing war.

Australia, Canada, France, Germany and India each posted double-digit RevPAR gains. The Caribbean, Spain and the U.K. recorded strong single-digit increases.

Canada has been strong for most of the year. This week's occupancy of 82.4% was the third highest, behind the peak six weeks ago. September occupancy stood at 78.9%, equal to July and just below August, with September month-to-date RevPAR up 14.2%.

Mexico continued to struggle, with major tourism destinations seeing declining hotel demand. Mexico City was the exception, with RevPAR up 12.7% on equal growth in occupancy and ADR.

With three double-digit RevPAR weeks already booked and elevated weekday travel persisting through the final full week of September, the month is positioned to close as 2026's strongest for U.S. hotel performance growth.