Colorado Springs sees highest rate of November hotel stays in 5 years

Jessica Van Dyne, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
·2 min read

Dec. 21—As temperatures cooled down, tourism heated up in Colorado Springs with the highest November hotel occupancy rates since 2017.

November's occupancy rate of 58.7% was up 3.35% from the year prior, according to the Rocky Mountain Lodging Report.

"In looking at demand in November, it came primarily from the drive market as Fly COS passenger counts were down 1.5% in November year-over-year," Visit Colorado Springs President and CEO Doug Price said in an email.

The occupancy rate for October saw a similar boost from the year before, while September saw a 7% jump in occupancy rate compared with 2021, from 74.2% to 79.4%. Through November, Colorado Springs' occupancy rate was up 5.84% from the same period last year.

The lodging report doesn't include The Broadmoor or Cheyenne Mountain Resort in its Colorado Springs numbers; those hotels are included in a separate category for resorts.

The average daily rate for Colorado Springs hotels in November rose 5.72% from $111.01 in 2021 to $117.36 this year. The average daily rate for October and September also increased from the previous year.

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"Some of the November occupancy and average rate spike continues to reflect pent-up demand for travel and the return of large family and friends' gatherings for holidays, like Thanksgiving," Price said. "We will see next month if this trend continues through December."

Average daily rates through November were up 7.7% year over year.

Denver-area hotels slightly outdid Colorado Springs hotels in November at a 59.4% occupancy rate, ranking behind Greeley at 72%. Denver was also ahead 18.63% year over year.

The average room rate for Denver-area hotels in November leapt to $137.76, up 13.34% from the year prior. Rates were up every month throughout 2022 compared to the year before. Year to date, average daily rates were up 20.69%.