Local Hospitality Sector Approaches Pre-Pandemic Levels

Published:12/14/22

As concerts, conventions, and travel resumes in Atlanta, the hospitality industry is showing signs of bouncing back.

After struggling through nearly three years of the pandemic, the local hospitality sector is showing signs of bouncing back as travel, tourism and convention activity in Atlanta resume. In fact, hotel strength is approaching pre-pandemic levels, according to the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Diners at the new Reverence restaurant at Epicurean Atlanta. Photo courtesy of the Epicurean. Photo credit: Brandon LaJoie.

Occupancy levels in Midtown averaged 71% in the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to 79% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Revenue per available room (RevPAR), an industry term used to calculate room profitability, reached $142 this quarter in Midtown, compared to $146 in Q4 2019.

An asset map showing all of the hotels in the Midtown Improvement District.

Occupancy Factors: Tourism, Festivals + More

Eight new hotels, comprising 2,500+ new rooms, have come online inside the City of Atlanta since the beginning of the pandemic. Four of these opened in Midtown (the Hampton Inn & Suites Atlanta Midtown, the Epicurean Atlanta, the Marriott Courtyard & Westin Element Hotel, and the Kimpton Wade Hotel) in the past two-plus years.
Business travel has been slower to return, and occupancy is higher for weekend stays, meaning that it is likely more guests are tourism-related visitors. However, the city is currently missing the international travel volume it had before the onset of the pandemic.
The labor situation impacts the hotel and restaurant sectors, with ongoing shortages factoring into meeting expectations for the visitor experience. Local restaurants also need office workers to return in order to begin turning a profit again.
A typical year of convention activity in the City of Atlanta is 30 weeks of events. According to the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, there are 21 major conventions booked in Atlanta each year for the next three years.
In addition, the World Cup has named Atlanta to its list of host cities for 2026, which means Atlanta will host one or more matches. Atlanta is also in the running to host the World Cup international media center, with a decision likely coming early next year.

Learn more about Midtown’s fundamental strengths in our Only in Midtown publication.