Ashes Cricket Series Drives Record Gains in Australian Hotel Performance

• Ashes matches in late 2025 and early 2026 led to historic hotel occupancy and revenue highs across five Australian cities. 
• Perth and Adelaide saw the most significant year-over-year growth in average daily rates and revenue per available room.

The 2025-26 Men’s Ashes cricket series has delivered a substantial boost to Australia’s hotel and travel industry, with key host cities reporting record-breaking performance metrics during match periods.

According to CoStar data, hotel occupancy and revenue soared across five major Australian markets as fans flocked to see the iconic cricket series. Perth led the surge, reaching a remarkable 96% occupancy during the first Test on November 22, 2025. That same night, Perth’s hotels posted their highest-ever average daily rate (ADR) of AUD409.36 and revenue per available room (RevPAR) of AUD393.03, representing year-over-year jumps of nearly 47% and 50%, respectively.

Adelaide also experienced a historic spike during the third Test on December 18, with ADR hitting AUD435.05 and RevPAR climbing to AUD408.92—year-over-year increases of 145% and a staggering 326%. Adelaide’s occupancy rate soared to 94% on the same night.

Brisbane’s hotels saw occupancy peak at 90.4% during the second Test, while Melbourne’s fourth Test drove occupancy to 92.3% and set new highs for ADR and RevPAR. Notably, even the unexpectedly early finish of the Melbourne Test did not dampen hotel performance, which consistently outpaced the previous year’s results.

Sydney, host of the final Test, also saw strong gains, with occupancy reaching 79.4% and ADR and RevPAR hitting their highest levels on January 4, 2026.

Matthew Burke, regional director at STR, highlighted that larger stadium capacities in Melbourne and Adelaide amplified the positive impact on hotel occupancy. “The unexpected completion of the Melbourne Test within two days didn’t see any major adverse effect to occupancy as the market consistently outperformed the prior year,” he noted.

The Ashes series has once again demonstrated the powerful connection between major sporting events and hotel industry performance, cementing cricket’s role as a key driver for Australia’s travel and hospitality sectors.