Hotel bookings at American properties for the days leading up to Christmas—Dec. 21-25—are up 22 percent from last year, shows new data from SiteMinder, the world’s leading hotel distribution and revenue platform.
International bookings are driving the surge, rising by over 15 percent annually to 32 percent of total bookings at American hotels this year, compared to 28 percent during the same period in 2023. The top five source markets fueling this growth are Canada, Germany, the UK, France and Italy.
This growth in hotel bookings complements a year-on-year increase in both length of stay and booking lead time during the Christmas week. The average length of booked stays at U.S. hotels for the period is set to increase by 5 percent year-on-year, from 2.51 days to 2.63 days, while the average lead on bookings will increase by over 4.5 percent, from 77.08 days to 80.62 days.
“It’s pleasing to see that U.S. hotels will be enjoying their share of Christmas cheer this year," Trent Innes, SiteMinder’s chief growth officer, said in a statement. "Increased bookings, underpinned by the strong return of international travel and combined with enduring confidence among domestic travelers, is also translating into an uptick in lead times and longer stays. These encouraging developments represent both an opportunity and a call to action for American hoteliers, who must ensure they offer their guests tailored, seamless experiences this festive season, allowing for maximized revenue whilst encouraging loyalty and positive reviews.”
SiteMinder’s data is based on bookings at U.S. hotels for the period Dec. 21-25, as measured on Dec. 3.
SiteMinder’s Changing Traveller Report 2025 shows that two-thirds (65 percent) of travelers globally are now more likely to travel for an event, with family reunions/celebrations topping the list. While almost half (46 percent) plan to book a standard (basic quality) room, the majority will splurge ‘where it matters’, with 87 percent willing to spend on extras like breakfast (47 percent), room size (30 percent) and views (28 percent). Four-in-five also intend to seek out experiences onsite at their accommodation.