According to SiteMinder’s Hotel Booking Trends, based on
more than 130 million hotel bookings, average daily rates (ADR) across the UK
increased modestly by 1.35% year-on-year in 2025, reaching £191.55, up from
£189.00 in 2024.
During the same period, both cancellation rates and booking lead times remained
largely stable. Cancellation rates edged down slightly from 18.27% to 18.24%,
remaining below the global average, while booking lead times decreased
marginally from 35.46 days to 35.11 days, still several days longer than the
global average.
This stabilisation mirrored global trends. Worldwide
cancellation rates declined to 19.15% from 19.79% the previous year, while
average booking lead times increased marginally from 32.03 days to 32.15 days.
Further analysis of UK-specific data shows domestic
travel continued to dominate, accounting for 69.20% of all hotel arrivals in
2025, up from 68.37% in 2024. Similar patterns were observed internationally,
with domestic travel gaining share in several major markets including Germany,
France, Spain, and the United States.
The UK also remained one of the most
short-stay-focused markets globally. Single-night bookings represented 80.50%
of all UK reservations in 2025, up slightly from 80.16% the previous year.
Globally, single-night stays accounted for 73.09% of bookings, marginally down
from 73.20%.
Rate performance by day of the week showed Fridays once again commanding the highest ADR, averaging £215 in 2025, a 0.93% increase year-on-year. Saturdays became the second highest priced day, with an average rate of £193.59, up 1.36% from £190.99, while Thursdays ranked third at £192.31, reflecting a 0.66% annual increase.
Seasonality remained pronounced. July and August
together accounted for just over 19.34% of all UK hotel bookings in 2025, up
slightly from 19% in 2024. ADR growth during the summer months exceeded the
annual average, rising by 2.39% in July to £215.39 and by 1.69% in August to
£200.41.
Distribution data highlighted the continued importance
of Asian travel demand. Agoda retained its fourth-place position
among the Top 12 booking channels for UK hotels, while Indian B2B platform TBOHolidays also
maintained its ranking. Direct bookings via hotel websites remained third
overall, behind Booking.com and Expedia Group, while Airbnb moved up one
position to eighth. London-based G2 Travel entered the Top
12 ranking for the first time.
“A return to more
stable booking behaviour will be welcome relief for UK hoteliers, allowing them
to shift focus from reacting to volatility to optimising volume and revenue in
a complex, competitive market. This means designing guest acquisition strategies
that fully leverage demand peaks, while filling rooms midweek or during quieter
months. Likewise, with city breaks, stopovers and business travel all playing a
considerable role in the UK’s incoming travel, hoteliers would do well to
design tailored offers that entice short-stay guests to add an extra night or
two.”
“Distribution in
particular should be an area of focus in 2026. SiteMinder’s annual list of Top
12 booking channels points to a more layered distribution picture for UK
hotels, with B2B and specialist intermediaries increasingly complementing the
familiar split between OTAs and direct bookings. And, while the majority of
bookings continue to come from within the UK, hotels should ensure their
channel mix positions them to benefit from the ongoing resurgence of Asian
outbound travel.”
The annual SiteMinder’s Hotel Booking Trends report analyses booking data
across 20 of the world’s most established destinations. The platform supports
more than 50,000 hotels globally, generating over 250 million room nights and
more than US$55 billion in revenue for hotel customers each year.
The Top 12 booking channels for UK hotels in 2025 were
Booking.com, Expedia Group, hotel websites, Agoda, Hotelbeds, global
distribution systems, Trip.com, Airbnb, WebBeds, G2 Travel, Hostelworld Group,
and TBOHolidays.
Tags: SiteMinder
