Stephanie Ricca

We just wrapped the 18th Hotel Data Conference last week in Nashville. Whether you've attended 18 of them, 14 (like me), one or none, if you work in the field of travel data and analytics, you know that the only constant is change. I have planned the event's content for the last four years, which is about how long we've had artificial intelligence-related topics on the conference menu.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The latest U.S. hotel industry forecast from CoStar and Tourism Economics reflects strong performance in the first half of this year, and there's always more story behind the data. Co-hosts of the "Tell Me More: A Hospitality Data Podcast" recorded a special episode at the 2026 Hotel Data Conference, highlighting a few surprises and takeaways gleaned from the annual event.

It's been a summer of surprises — most good, some not-so-good — surrounding U.S. hotel performance amid the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Topping the list of good surprises, according to the hosts of "Tell Me More: A Hospitality Data Podcast," was June hotel revenue per available room in the U.S. It grew 8.4% on a 6.7% average daily rate bump compared to June 2025.