Hotels in World Cup host cities across the United States are reporting weaker-than-expected bookings, despite heavy marketing, rising fan interest and a global tournament that is still months away. Hoteliers in Kansas City, Houston, Miami and New York say demand has not matched the early optimism that followed the draw and the first wave of ticket sales.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association said eight in 10 hotels in host cities are seeing lower demand than expected. It said many operators described the tournament as a “non-event”, while a majority reported bookings below levels seen in a typical summer.
Several hotel owners and managers told the BBC they had expected a surge by now but were still waiting for a last-minute lift as matches approach. Fifa said more than five million tickets have been sold and demand has been “unprecedented”.
In Houston, Deidre Mathis, who owns the Wanderstay Boutique Hotel, said she had been left “very confused” by the lack of early momentum. The hotel is about a mile from the Houston fan zone and a short drive from the stadium hosting the city’s matches, but Mathis said occupancy for the tournament period was only 45%, compared with 70% at the same time last year.
“We were sold this expectation the World Cup would be a big phenomenon, people have been talking about it for years,” said Mathis. “So when we looked at our calendar and saw in February, March and April that we still weren’t sold out [for the tournament] – and it is not just us in Houston, but it is all over – we were left sitting here just very confused,” she told the BBC.
Mathis blamed what she called the political climate during US President Donald Trump’s second term, including immigration raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. She also pointed to the cost of living and the high price of match tickets. Official tickets for the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey were listed at up to $32,970, while resale listings have reached more than $2m.
Trump has also criticised the price of some tickets, saying he “wouldn’t pay it either”. Mathis said she wanted Fifa to cut prices and the US government to speed up visa applications for fans hoping to attend.
The AHLA said the weak booking picture was widespread. Rosanna Maietta, the association’s president and chief executive, said the war in Iran was partly to blame, but added that some fans may still be waiting to learn where their teams will play before booking accommodation.
By contrast, Airbnb said the World Cup would be “the biggest hosting event” in its history, suggesting some parts of the short-term rental market expect a stronger surge closer to kick-off.
Some fans are still planning major trips regardless of the cost. Hamish Husband, from the Association of Tartan Army Clubs, said he expects to spend as much as £10,000 following Scotland at the tournament with his brother. He said the main concern among fans was “the outrageous ticket pricing Fifa has enforced on fans”.
“There is no fairness in football anymore, but $1,000 for Scotland v Haiti tickets – that is scandalous,” he told the BBC. Husband also said that in Mexico, many local fans earning average salaries would be unable to afford tickets, and praised Canada’s efforts to limit inflated resale prices.
In Kansas City, Stephen Jenkins, who manages the Fontaine Hotel, said bookings were tracking “in a very similar spot” to this time last year. He said he had expected a boom because of the tournament’s “once-in-a-lifetime experience” but has so far seen less demand than hoped.
“We are not seeing the pick-up we had anticipated,” said Stephen Jenkins. He added that the schedule announcement brought a small rise in bookings and that he expected “much more of an uptick as the matches approach”.
Local businesses are also trying to turn the tournament into a wider draw. Jenkins said the fan festival would be “a difference maker”, and the Fontaine is planning a “Culinary Cup” with country-themed meals tied to the teams playing in the city. But he said Lionel Messi had not yet matched the pull of Taylor Swift, whose 2023 Eras tour triggered what he called a city-wide sellout.
Manuel Deisen, general manager of InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, said enquiries and bookings were also below normal. “It’s not quite what we had hoped for,” he said. Still, he said there was “incredible enthusiasm” for the tournament and that he expected a late rise as fans confirm their plans.
The hotel is preparing football-themed events and screenings throughout the competition, reflecting the hope among many US operators that the biggest gains may come only in the weeks before each match.
The White House has set up a World Cup task force to help ensure the tournament runs smoothly. It has also exempted football fans from 50 countries from a $15,000 visa deposit if they can show valid match tickets.
Fifa said ticket demand remained strong and defended its pricing strategy, saying some seats were sold for as little as $60 and that higher prices were designed to limit profiteering on resale markets. The organisation said excitement was continuing to build for what it called the largest sporting event on the planet.
