Australia’s 2025 football calendar has delivered a big win for the hotel sector, driving more than $75 million in additional hotel revenue, according to new data from CBRE.
CBRE’s Major Hotel Markets Performance Q3 2025 report examines how five of the country’s most high-profile football events translated into record hotel performance.
Nationally, hotels reported occupancy of 73%, an Average Daily Rate (ADR) of $243, and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of $177, off the back of major events like the British & Irish Lions Tour, the NRL Grand Final in Sydney, and the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne.
We spoke to CBRE’s Australian Head of Hotels Research, Ally Gibson, about what lies ahead for Australia’s accommodation sector.
Big Games, Big Impact
From sell-out stadiums to fully booked hotels, Australia’s football finals season has once again shown how major sporting moments translate into hotel market highs.
The NRL Grand Final in Sydney attracted a crowd of 83,000 and delivered the highest hotel occupancy of the year at 96%. It also recorded the second-highest ADR of 2025, behind New Year’s Eve, generating an estimated $21 million uplift in hotel revenue over three days.
The British & Irish Lions Tour, the first in 12 years, reignited international travel demand and filled hotels across Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Matches drew crowds of more than 100,000 in Melbourne, 80,000 in Sydney, and 53,500 in Brisbane, delivering an estimated $42 million boost in hotel revenue across the three events.
Melbourne’s AFL Grand Final also provided a strong uplift, with hotels benefiting from near-capacity bookings across the weekend as tens of thousands of fans travelled from interstate.
Ms Gibson said these kinds of high-profile events were critical to hotel performance and city vibrancy.
“They create concentrated spikes in occupancy, average daily rates, and total room night demand that flow through to revenue uplift,” she said.
“Short, high-impact events drive strong rate uplift, while extended tournaments, cultural festivals, and corporate conferences sustain trading conditions over multiple nights.”
State of Play
Across the 12 months to September 2025, all major markets recorded occupancy gains, with Adelaide leading growth, followed by Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth.
- Sydney dominated the national market, posting the highest occupancy at 83%, ADR at $325, and RevPAR of $269 — a 7% year-on-year increase.
- Melbourne saw occupancy rise 4% to 76%, driving a 6% increase in RevPAR to a record $183.
- Brisbane achieved record ADR ($259) and RevPAR ($196), and the highest year-on-year RevPAR growth nationally at 11%.
- Adelaide recorded a 7% increase in occupancy and a 5% rise in RevPAR to $153.
- Perth maintained KPIs above pre-pandemic levels, with occupancy at 80%, ADR of $249, and RevPAR up 9% year-on-year to $199.
Next Season’s Opportunities
With event-driven tourism showing no signs of slowing, Australia’s hotel markets are set for another strong quarter.
The upcoming Ashes Cricket Test is expected to deliver further uplift, particularly across host cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
“We expect the test will make a meaningful contribution to Q4 trading and reinforce the continued strength of event-led demand heading into summer.”
Ms Gibson said the hotel sector was well-positioned for continued growth, with occupancy and rates above pre-pandemic benchmarks in several markets, and a slowing development pipeline helping to sustain pricing power.
“Strong inbound tourism, infrastructure investment, and a deep calendar of events all point to another robust year,” she said.
“Maintaining a steady and consistent schedule of major, cultural, and corporate conferencing events will be a key driver in sustaining performance, allowing for both mid-week and peak weekend trading growth.”
