Visit Dublin representatives told Dublin City Council on Oct. 6 that 2025 has been a strong year for local hotels and that any reduction in the city’s visitor-marketing resources could slow future bed-tax growth. Rachel Stewart, an Embassy Suites manager who represents Dublin’s 18 hotels, and Scott (Visit Dublin representative) presented performance metrics and forecasts.

“2025 has been an outstanding year for the hotels,” Rachel Stewart said, reporting that Dublin’s hotel occupancy through August stood at 69%, up about 4 percentage points year over year, and that the average daily rate was about $132, a 5.2% increase year over year. Stewart said those two measures translate into what she expects will be a record bed-tax year for the city.

Scott told council Visit Dublin uses nine organizational metrics to measure performance—worldwide media impressions, regional impressions, social media, website visitors and room nights among them—and said those efforts feed restaurants, shops and the local workforce. “Every dollar you invest with us or invest in sales and marketing, you’re getting $16 back,” Scott said, framing the return as broad economic impact beyond bed tax.

Staff and presenters cautioned that Visit Dublin’s marketing and sales work is a competitive advantage. Stewart said, “Any reduction in Visit Dublin’s resources would have a direct impact on our hotel’s performances and will impact the momentum that we’ve built in generating bed tax in the future.” Presenters forecast a 2%–4% increase in visitation-driven revenues in 2026, assuming current investments continue.

The presentation was informational; council did not take formal action. City staff did not present specific budget proposals as part of this update during the meeting.

Why it matters: the bed tax funds city services and municipal programs tied to tourism. Council members asked no follow-up budget questions during the presentation but thanked the presenters for the update.