Hotel performance in U.S. host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is running well above earlier projections, according to CoStar data.
In May, CoStar had forecast a 13% year-over-year increase in RevPAR for U.S. host cities during the tournament, which began on June 11. However, RevPAR gains significantly exceeded that forecast between June 11 and 27, averaging well above 20%.
That momentum continued into the week of June 28 to July 4, when the knockout round began. CoStar data showed a 23% RevPAR increase in World Cup cities, even though there were fewer matches played. Average daily rate was up roughly 21%, while occupancy rose 1.1 percentage points.
Kansas City recorded the largest gain among host cities for that period, with RevPAR up 49.9%, despite hosting only one match. Philadelphia also recorded a standout performance, posting a 74.3% increase in weekend RevPAR, as its sole match coincided with Fourth of July celebrations.
The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau reported similar findings on July 10, announcing that RevPAR at Philadelphia's Center City hotels climbed 52.4% and the average daily rate rose 47.5% for the city's six World Cup matches.
The gains significantly exceeded earlier expectations. In March, hotel officials in Philadelphia and other host markets reported that FIFA had canceled a larger-than-anticipated share of contracted room blocks, while an American Hotel & Lodging Association survey in May found that 80% of respondents across 11 host cities said bookings were tracking below initial forecasts.
The tournament is scheduled to conclude on July 19, with the final to be held at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.