US hotel occupancy reaches 70.6% in early October, holiday weekend sells 9.1 million room nights

US hotels filled 70.6% of their rooms in the week of October 4 to 10, 2026, according to CoStar figures that run through October 10^[1]. That occupancy level was 2.3% higher than in the comparable week of 2025^[2]. The week's final two days were also the start of the long weekend before Monday, October 12, when Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day fell^[3].

Rates and the holiday weekend

Prices rose faster than occupancy. Average daily rate for the week came in at $179.58, a gain of 4.1%, and revenue per available room (RevPAR) reached $126.79, up 6.5%^[1]. RevPAR grew in 17 of the 25 largest markets^[1].

Across the Friday and Saturday of the holiday weekend, demand reached about 9.1 million room nights^[3]. Weekend average daily rate climbed to $198.68 and weekend RevPAR to $158.64^[3].

Some big cities ran well above the national level. San Francisco posted the largest occupancy gain among the top 25 markets, rising 10.6% to 88.5%^[1]. Chicago occupancy grew 6.8% to 82.7%^[1].

What the national numbers do not tell housekeeping

Room nights sold are not the same as rooms to clean, and neither number equals check-out rooms. A guest staying three nights counts as three room nights but may produce one departure clean and two stayover services, or fewer if your property limits daily service. The workload on a Sunday or holiday Monday depends on how many guests leave at once, not on the weekend occupancy rate alone.

National and city averages also cannot be turned into a staffing forecast for one hotel. A property in a market running near 88% may have had a quiet weekend, and the reverse is just as possible. The useful step is to pull your own figures for this weekend: occupied rooms per night, departures per day, stayovers, and the attendant hours you actually scheduled and worked. Comparing those numbers shows whether the holiday peak was covered or whether rooms reached front desk late.

Higher rates also raise the cost of a room that cannot be sold because it was not cleaned in time. Check with your finance team how that tradeoff looks at your property before planning the next holiday weekend.

ARPCLEAN take

What does this mean for housekeeping?

For hotels

• Own data first: pull this weekend's departures and stayovers per day from your property system, not the national occupancy rate.
• Hours against rooms: compare scheduled and worked attendant hours with the rooms actually cleaned on Sunday and Monday.
• Next peak: set staffing for the next holiday weekend from your own check-out pattern and confirm it with your finance team.

For cleaning contractors

• Holiday Monday: review how many departure cleans fell on October 11 and 12 at each hotel you serve and whether your crews covered them.
• Contract terms: check how your agreement handles extra rooms or overtime on peak days and raise gaps with the hotel early.

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