Anchorage hotels saw significant improvements compared to 2020, and yet a ways to go before nearing 2019 benchmarks.
May 2021 occupancy increased to 72%, an 81% improvement from May 2020, though shy of peak performance in prior years. Rate improved 52% year over year, and demand jumped 82% compared to the year prior as well. Each means significant gains compared to the depths of COVID, but falls short of a complete recovery. Demand could show an increase in travelers, but also fewer people with longer stays, or even a combination of both.
While May gives the first indication of summer performance, June, July, and August traditionally have outsized importance for hotels. And while improvements in demand are encouraging, it's likely at least some of the business in May isn't related to leisure visitation.
Hotel data is just a single point of information; with Southcentral cruises unlikely to return until 2022, and group travel slow to recover, the industry can expect an uneven recovery, with some segments rebounding faster than others.
View June 2021 report.
Not familiar with these terms? There's a guide to hotel performance.
