The 2025 Australian Open is in full swing and lodges throughout Melbourne are having fun with a flurry of exercise as guests descend on the town.
This yr’s occasion is predicted to attract file fan numbers an deliver a rise of as much as 10% in Melbourne metropolis resort room bookings, throughout foremost match days, in keeping with Lodging Australia.
“Occasion-related occupancy forecasts are significantly spectacular, given STR and JLL report Melbourne has welcomed 81 new lodges and over 5,200 rooms within the five-year interval between 2019 and 2024, with one other 2,000 rooms nonetheless to return,” mentioned Lodging Australia (Victoria) Common Supervisor, Dougal Hollis.
“This cumulative progress represents a circa 33% enhance in Melbourne resort shares, clearly producing extra resort rooms to be crammed.
“Though all the metropolis is benefiting, CBD lodges most proximate to the Melbourne Park tennis precinct are sometimes forecasting to be busier than these additional away.”
The weekend of January 18-19 is projected to have the strongest occupancy, anticipated within the mid-high 80% vary, forward of 2024 ranges which had been within the early-mid 70% vary.
The match can also be anticipated to have a constructive affect on the posh finish of the resort market.
“Sturdy demand is clear from the North American market, with resort suite bookings fashionable,” mentioned newly appointed Lodging Australia (Victoria) Advisory Group Chair, Peter Minatsis.
“That is maybe unsurprising, given present beneficial trade charges, when evaluating the worth of the Australian greenback to the US greenback.
“Many hoteliers have additionally developed AO-themed activations inside their properties, to allow visitors to proceed their occasion expertise pre-and-post travelling to Melbourne Park.”
The occupancy increase is welcome information as hoteliers search to match a excessive performing Q1 2024. In comparison with February 2024, which noticed the massively fashionable Taylor Swift and Pink music concert events, Melbourne occupancies are presently 7% down for the month of February.