FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Isaac Reichman – ireichman@choosechicago.com, (312) 805-9586
Stephen Crano – scrano@choosechicago.com, (312) 567-8505
Michelle Gonzalez – mgonzalez@choosechicago.com, (312) 259-5708
Chicago Hotels Set New Records with Over 3.56 Million Room Nights and $949 Million in Revenue During Summer 2025
Chicago, IL (October 1, 2025) — Choose Chicago today announced record-breaking hotel performance for the summer of 2025. From June through August, hotels in Chicago’s Central Business District sold more than 3.56 million room nights—an increase of 4.3% over 2024 and surpassing the previous high set in 2019. These bookings generated an unprecedented $949 million in revenue, up 0.8% from last summer.
This achievement highlights the strength and resilience of Chicago’s tourism industry, even as global travel continues to face economic and geopolitical challenges. While hotel demand nationwide declined by 0.5% compared to summer 2024, Chicago saw a year-to-date increase of 3.7% through August, outperforming the national average, which is down 0.1%.
“Chicago is never done breaking records and never outdone as a global destination,” said Kristen Reynolds, President and CEO of Choose Chicago. “Despite headwinds in the global tourism industry, visitors continue to choose Chicago for its world-class culture, cuisine, events, and hospitality. Our tourism partners have once again delivered an unforgettable summer, reinforcing the industry’s $20 billion annual economic impact and supporting 130,000 hospitality jobs across all 77 neighborhoods.”
Governor JB Pritzker praised the city’s performance, stating, “Chicago remains a world-class destination for vacations, meetings, and major events. These record hotel numbers prove that investing in tourism and hospitality creates jobs, fuels economic growth, and showcases the best of Illinois.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson added, “Tourism is about more than just dollars—it’s about pride in our city. These numbers are a tribute to the incredible people who make Chicago shine, from hotel and restaurant workers to cultural leaders and small business owners.”
This summer’s success was driven by a packed calendar of conventions, concerts, sporting events, and festivals, along with Chicago’s renowned food and arts scenes. The Chicago Department of Aviation also reported that the ten busiest travel days in city history occurred this summer.
Leisure travel played a major role, with 2.5 million room nights booked by vacationers—an 11.2% increase over 2024. The four busiest hotel weekends on record all occurred this summer:
– July 19 weekend: 92,643 room nights — boosted by the NIKE Tournament of Champions, BLACKPINK concert, and more
– August 30 weekend: 91,559 room nights — driven by Labor Day travel and major concerts
– June 21 weekend: 91,384 room nights — fueled by Pride Fest and the American Diabetes Association conference
– August 2 weekend: 91,049 room nights — led by Lollapalooza and other events
Michael Jacobson, President & CEO of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, commented, “This momentum is encouraging for hotels across Chicago. But we must remain vigilant in addressing rising costs and economic uncertainty to ensure long-term growth and continued investment in our industry.”
Tourism continues to be a cornerstone of the local economy. In 2024, Chicago welcomed approximately 55.3 million visitors, generating $20.6 billion in economic impact. Meetings and events alone contributed over $3 billion and introduced countless new visitors to the city’s rich cultural and culinary offerings.
Choose Chicago and its partners are committed to maintaining this momentum into the fall and winter seasons. The organization recently launched the “All for the Love of Chicago” campaign, inviting residents and visitors to share their personal stories and experiences that showcase what makes the city special.
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About Choose Chicago:
Choose Chicago is the official destination marketing organization for the city, dedicated to promoting Chicago as a premier global destination for tourism and meetings. With more than 55 million annual visitors, the organization helps generate over $20 billion in economic impact. Follow @choosechicago and tag #NeverOutdoneChi on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X/Twitter. Learn more at choosechicago.com.
Source: choosechicago.com