While hotel occupancy rates and nightly room prices remained much higher in September than during the spring months early in the COVID-19 outbreak, last month saw those metrics dip as the summer travel season turned to fall. 

Bucking that trend was Loveland, where the September average occupancy rate was 64.6% and the average room cost was $94.76, according to the Rocky Mountain Lodging Report as released Tuesday by the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association. That’s up from 52.6% occupied in August, a month where average rates were $97.72 per night. Loveland was the only city in the region to see month-over-month increases in September. 

Boulder hotels were 53.8% full in September and the average room rate was $121.86. Lodges were 60.4% full in August when the average room rate in the city was $162.49.

Estes Park posted the most expensive rooms in the region with average September room rates of $209.18 per night. The occupancy rate last month was  51.8%. That’s compared to $216.99 and 70.4%  in August. 

Longmont hotels were 43.1% full last month and rooms averaged $81.84 per night. Those hotels were 44.3% full last month and travelers spent $84.84 per night on average.

Hotels in Fort Collins were 56.5% occupied last month and cost an average of  $100.81 per night. August occupancy was 62.1% and the average daily price was $109.29.

Greeley hotels were 56.7% full last month and averaged $82.88 per night. Hotels in August cost $81.42 per night on average and were 52.0% occupied.

Statewide, the occupancy rate in September was 56.7% and the average nightly room rate was $82.88. The month prior, the occupancy rate was 51.1%. On average, travelers in August spent $131.64 per night. 

Despite the drop from August to September, occupancy rates and prices remain much higher than in April, when COVID-19 travel restrictions were at their most strict. Those figures were 7% and $132.17 respectively in April.

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