SiteMinder, a leading hotel distribution and revenue platform, has revealed that Australian hotel bookings have seen a 9 per cent year-on-year growth, led by Adelaide properties reporting a 24 per cent increase.
While major international destinations including the US and Italy face booking slowdowns, Australian hotels are reporting strong forward momentum, with July and August reservations up more than 15 per cent compared to 2024. The data compares reservation volumes at SiteMinder’s Australian properties for winter 2025 versus winter 2024, as of 15 May in both years.
The findings, uncovered as part of SiteMinder’s global webinar series ‘Risk, Resilience & Revenue – Navigating Hotel Demand in 2025’, reveal Sydney hotels are the second strongest performer with an 18.5 per cent booking increase, followed by Hobart at 15.7 per cent.
Analysis of three key international source markets shows UK travellers with the fastest room expenditure growth at 18.37 per cent, US guests spending the highest amount at $415 per night on average, and New Zealand visitors increasing spending by 3.93 per cent. Domestic demand remains the backbone of the market, consistently accounting for 83-87 per cent of bookings in the first four months.
Despite economic headwinds, travellers are maintaining their holiday patterns. Booking lead times for winter arrivals have extended to 127 days, up from 119 days last year, while average stay lengths are holding steady at just over two days.
“Australian hotels are demonstrating strong resilience in a challenging global market,” SiteMinder chief growth officer Trent Innes said. “The data shows travellers are maintaining their holiday plans – they’re booking further in advance, preserving their stay lengths, and continuing to invest in travel experiences.”
Average daily rates have risen modestly by 2.5 per cent to $363 country-wide, with Perth recording the fastest rate growth at 13.88 per cent, while Darwin offers value-seekers a 6.79 per cent rate decrease.
SiteMinder’s Australia session of the ‘Risk, Resilience & Revenue’ series took place on June 11th, featuring industry experts including Tamie Mathews, CEO of RevenYou and Carolyn Childs, CEO of mytravelresearch.com.
