Anticipating the Surge: How Hospitality America is Positioning for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Why investing in people, processes, and technology will define hotel success

When FIFA announced that North America would host the 2026 World Cup—describing it as “the largest World Cup in history”—the hospitality sector began preparing for a seismic shift in travel patterns across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Sixteen host cities are expected to see extraordinary visitor influx, new booking behaviors, and intense rate compression. At Hospitality America, we have built a disciplined commercial strategy that integrates revenue science, brand alignment, and local market intelligence to meet this moment.

Understanding the Scale: Data-Driven Demand Forecasting

According to CoStar’s most recent hotel outlook, host markets should expect a rate-led surge, with ADR projected to increase between 20% and 45%, while occupancy may rise 5–15 percentage points depending on match stage and geography. ²

Cities hosting later rounds, including New York/New Jersey (Final), Dallas (Semifinal), Kansas City (Quarterfinal), and Miami (Third Place)—are positioned to see the most significant revenue lift. Meanwhile, secondary metros within driving proximity are likely to experience compression from displacement and spillover demand, especially during knockout rounds.

Across our portfolio—from Hampton Kansas City Downtown Crossroads and Hampton Miami Brickell to Embassy Suites Greenville Downtown RiverPlace and Motto Bentonville Downtown—we have aligned these projections with segmentation trends, team-draw pricing models, and traveler sentiment analytics to ensure readiness well ahead of the curve.

Strategy in Motion: Preparing for Event-Driven Compression

Although the World Cup lasts thirty days, its commercial impact spans nine months, beginning with the December 5, 2025, team draw, which historically triggers booking surges in host cities. Kansas City, for example, has planned official draw events and fan activations, aligning citywide visibility with early demand.

Our strategic framework centers on four pillars:

1. Rate Integrity Over Volume

In alignment with CoStar’s findings that the World Cup will be an ADR-driven event, we are deploying enhanced pricing controls and minimum length-of-stay requirements across Hilton and Marriott systems to safeguard premium nights while maximizing shoulder-night conversion.

2. Regional Compression Forecasting

Our forecasting models anticipate spillover into drive-accessible markets such as Asheville, Greenville, Columbia, and Northwest Arkansas as primary metros hit capacity.

3. Drive-Market Readiness

With 18% of U.S. fans planning to travel by road, parking optimization and experiential enhancements are critical. We are refining strategies for parking yield, F&B activations, and viewing-party environments, targeting incremental revenue capture of 5%–10%.

4. Digital & Distribution Agility

Shorter booking windows demand synchronized response. Our teams monitor Google metasearch trends, direct-channel conversion data, and geo-fenced digital performance to execute real-time rate and content pivots.

Lessons from the Data: Anticipating Market Variance

The tri-nation structure of the 2026 World Cup creates unique commercial variance across markets. CoStar and regional economic studies show that metros such as Kansas City and Miami could see the sharpest imbalance between demand and room supply—placing a premium on operational readiness and price discipline.

As a preferred third-party management company for Hilton and Marriott, Hospitality America is leveraging brand-level event playbooks while maintaining owner-centric flexibility in revenue strategy and channel mix.

Beyond the Match: Converting Event Energy into Long-Term Value

Our approach is not only to capture the surge—it is to convert it. Mega-events present rare opportunities to increase brand exposure, grow loyalty membership, and elevate long-term RevPAR through disciplined activation.

In collaboration with our brand partners, we are implementing a “Fans First” guest experience framework: enhanced lobby activations, localized F&B offerings, and curated viewing environments that reflect the spirit of FIFA’s official “We Are 26” campaign.

From Miami to Kansas City, our vision is to make every World Cup stay a reflection of Hospitality America’s ethos: the precision of ownership and the heart of hospitality.

Closing Thoughts

The World Cup will be a defining moment for North American travel. Success for hoteliers will hinge not just on rooms sold, but on anticipating guest needs, protecting rate integrity, and operating with precision. Most importantly, it will require us to open our doors with the heart of hospitality—welcoming fans from every culture and country as they gather to celebrate the beautiful game.

At Hospitality America, we are not waiting for demand to arrive—we are shaping the conditions to capture it.

About the Author

Daniel Lock is Vice President of Commercial Strategy for Hospitality America,
a hotel management company based in Greenville, SC, with a portfolio of award-winning properties across the Southeastern United States. The company specializes in operating top-performing hotels that deliver exceptional guest experience and commercial success. Recognized in 2024 and 2025 by USA Today as a Top Place to Work.