Rome, the Eternal City, paused with reverence in April as millions descended to bid farewell to Pope Francis. As the faithful mourned, the hospitality industry rejoiced, quietly recording one of its strongest days in recent history.
According to the latest report from CoStar, a global authority in real estate analytics, hotel performance in Rome surged to celestial heights during the funeral of the late pontiff, with key metrics topping charts in a fashion even the Vatican might call miraculous.
On the night before the funeral — 25 April — occupancy reached a high of 88.8%, average daily rates (ADR) increased to EUR 351.13, and revenue per available room (RevPar) rose to EUR 311.90. These weren’t just good numbers. They were divine intervention. It marked Rome’s highest single-day hotel performance of 2025, and the ADR didn’t just make headlines — it earned a place in the history books as the eighth-highest ever recorded.
Not to be outdone by the vigil, the day of the funeral (26 April) posted equally impressive figures: ADR stood at EUR336.45, RevPAR at EUR285.25, and occupancy settled at 84.8% — the fourth highest for the year. In short, you couldn’t swing a censer in the city without hitting a fully booked boutique.
Rome Centre, the city’s spiritual and tourist heartbeat, saw an eye-watering ADR leap of 42.1% year-on-year, reaching EUR786.89. One suspects the innkeepers of the Renaissance would have approved.
Alexander Robinson, regional manager at STR — a division of CoStar — summed it up best: “We have seen the continued power of events across Europe; however, most events, be it sporting tournaments or concerts, are announced months in advance… Pope Francis’ funeral was announced just five days in advance – a short-term booking window for such a level of compression for the market, which makes this performance even more unique.”
In other words, while Beyoncé might sell out stadiums with six months’ notice, the Vatican drew crowds with five days and a solemn nod.
And it’s not over yet. Robinson adds that forward bookings for 7 May — the commencement of the papal conclave — are already charting at 84.2%, the highest on the books for the next 90 days. When Rome calls, the world answers.
The takeaway? Rome remains not just a city of history but also a city of hospitality. When the world’s eyes turn to the Vatican, the city’s hotel sector doesn’t just respond—it elevates. From divine architecture to divine RevPAR, there’s little doubt: Rome is in immaculate form.
For more information, visit: www.costargroup.com.
By Sandra Jones
yes, : Rome is in immaculate form, as never before
thanks to the late Pope Francis, to his charisma that during his pontificate gave a strong boost to the image of the Catholic Church throughout the world.
The same world that paid homage in the presence of his funeral observed also by hundreds of notables who came from all
over the world, the same ones who in their countries of origin keep a distance from human beings considered “the last” in the social chain,
a category of human beings in the heart to the late Pope Francis.
Will this noble sentiment be established in the conscience of the notables who witnessed the spiritual call of the crowd?