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Warren County hoteliers report weak Q1 2025 and a growing problem with short weekday stays
Summary
Hotel managers told the tourism committee that Q1 2025 occupancy and average daily rate (ADR) fell compared with last year; committee members and local business owners also highlighted a trend of shorter stays and weak Monday–Wednesday business that is straining operations.
Hotel and resort representatives told the Warren County Tourism Committee on March 24 that many local properties saw weaker performance in the first quarter of 2025 and that shorter average stays—particularly low demand Monday through Wednesday—are pressuring rates and operations.
Laura Coles, who identified herself as representing the Courtyard by Marriott and Marine Village Resort, said the Courtyard is “going to report down significantly … both on occupancy and ADR” for the first quarter of 2025 and said April likely will not make up the shortfall because last year’s eclipse boosted business in that month. Coles said Marine Village bookings are “holding steady” for the summer and that, as of the meeting, she was “within 1% of last year's numbers at the same time this year,” but occupancy remained down.
“Expenses, as you all know, we're going up between minimum wage increases, prices of everything,” Coles said, urging the committee to watch county fees and sales-tax collections that may be affected by weaker tourism revenue.
A business owner who identified himself as affiliated with an RV park (name of the RV park not specified in the transcript) told the committee that the average length of stay has fallen over the last 15 years from about seven nights to roughly three nights, and that the resulting drop in Monday–Wednesday business is now “the biggest challenge facing our business right now.” He added that some operators have raised weekend rates to offset weekday losses, which can price the county out of competition with other destinations.
Committee members acknowledged the pattern and discussed product and itinerary ideas to encourage longer stays. No funding or tax policy changes were proposed or voted on during the meeting.
Ending: Tourism staff said they will continue to track occupancy and booking trends and will share any data-driven proposals with the committee for consideration.
