Spread the love

Post Views: 41

In what is shaping to be a blockbuster summer for Australian hospitality, Forward STAR data from CoStar reveals that hotel bookings in Adelaide and Perth are already cracking the 80 per cent mark for key nights during the Ashes 2025 series.

It’s hardly surprising that when Australia hosts England in cricket’s greatest rivalry, the ripple effects reach far beyond the boundary ropes.

Hotels riding the Ashes wave

According to the latest Forward STAR metrics (the industry’s go-to for forward occupancy insights), bookings in Perth for the first night of the series (21 November) already sit at 83.6 %. A year ago, the comparable night was only 45.1 %. Adelaide, meanwhile, boasts its highest lift on Thursday, 18 December, with 86.4 % of rooms locked in versus just 17.7 % last year.

“In addition to the noticeable levels in Adelaide and Perth, there are days between Tests that are tracking ahead of the same time last year in popular leisure locations, such as Cairns & Gold Coast,” says Matthew Burke, regional director at STR. “This demonstrates, similar to the British and Irish Lions Tour, that long-form sporting events generate demand beyond the host cities.”

That’s a telling point: the Ashes isn’t just filling hotel rooms in Adelaide or Perth. Wherever Australians choose to holiday in between matches, the Gold Coast, Cairns or elsewhere, the uplift is being felt.

Other cities: catching up, but behind

Not all capitals are enjoying the same head start. Melbourne’s peak forward booking is 60.6 % (Saturday, 27 December), Brisbane’s is 57.2 % (Friday, 5 December), while Sydney’s highest is a modest 41.5 % (Sunday, 4 January).

Sydney’s relatively tame forward pace suggests either more cautious travel planning or that many prospective visitors are holding off until closer to the date. It might also reflect constraints in supply or pricing in that market.

A second sporting wind

This will be the second major English tour to drive Australian hotel demand in 2025, following the British & Irish Lions Tour earlier this year, which also saw soaring occupancy across host cities. That tour illustrated how potent long-form sports events can be for the accommodation sector.

It’s worth remembering that Forward STAR data offers more than pretty numbers. Operators, revenue managers and investors use it to adjust pricing, staffing, promotions and distribution strategies.

Why this matters beyond sport

This is more than a stadium story. Strong hotel bookings mean more jobs, higher occupancy yields, and greater confidence in tourism infrastructure. States like South Australia and Western Australia will be hoping to capitalise not just on cricket but also on extended stays, local spending, and follow-on travel across regions.

Adelaide, for instance, was on a roll even before the Ashes. In 2024, the city achieved record or near-record hotel occupancy for nine of the first eleven months thanks to conferences, events, and festivals.

As for Perth, this year marks the first time the Ashes will be staged at the new Perth Stadium, a landmark moment for cricket in Western Australia.

What to watch

Will Sydney and Brisbane book up strongly as the series approaches?
Can Adelaide and Perth stretch those high bookings into adjacent dates beyond match days?
Will the rising demand trickle into regional and leisure markets, as Mr Burke suggests?

One thing is sure: this is a golden opportunity for hoteliers and tourism officials. The Ashes isn’t just a cricketing contest — it’s a catalyst for economic momentum, and the early numbers are screaming “full house.”

Want the whole dataset or charting? Visit CoStar’s site for Forward STAR reports (www.costargroup.com) and watch for STR analysis as match day approaches.