The U.S. Open Tennis Championships comes to Queens, New York, once a year, providing hoteliers in the greater New York City market with an annual shot to ace the end of the summer.
From serving Honey Deuce cocktail dupes to player-led private events, New York City hotels take full advantage of the tennis-crazed buzz in the city to increase not only room demand and rates, but also foot traffic and revenues at restaurants and bars.
This year, the U.S. Open ran from Aug. 18 through Sept. 7, with the main draw beginning on Aug. 24. The first week of the event is reserved for qualifying matches and "Fan Week," when the tennis grounds are free and open to the public.
There was a twist this year, though: the mixed doubles tournament was played in the week leading up to the main draw, with the top men's and women's singles players competing. This led to a record Fan Week attendance of 239,307 people between Aug. 18-23.
Hotel demand was up 3.5% year over year in Queens for the first week of the tournament, and average daily rate was up about 8% over the same timeframe, Colin Sherman, director of hospitality market analytics in Texas and the U.S. South for CoStar Group, said. The extra events taking place during that week certainly could've played a factor with hotel demand.
"This allows budget-conscious travelers to potentially experience the U.S. Open outside of the tournament with celebrity status and everybody that showed up ... those ticket prices are going to be much, much higher and they're going to be exclusive to luxury travelers," he said.
In both New York City and Queens, revenue per available room peaked on Aug. 30, the first Saturday of the main draw. It reached $397.91 in New York City and $318.35 in Queens.
Sherman said hotel performance in Queens was driven by an increase in average daily rate. Even with a year-over-year supply increase of 5.7% in the submarket, Queens largely posted positive revenue per available room and demand numbers throughout the duration of the tournament.
Activations on property
The Hotel Seville NoMad partnered with luxury tennis apparel brand UomoSport and sports equipment company Dunlop Sports to put on a "Sip & Shop" event at its lobby bar, Il Bar, on the Friday before the tournament started. The free event had a steady flow of 70 to 80 people coming in and out, and featured tennis-inspired cocktails and the newest clothing line from UomoSport.
U.S. tennis player Jenson Brooksby attended the event and took photos and met with guests. General Manager Tommasi Moccia said the mission of the property is luxury through experience, and this event was a chance to provide that experience around the U.S. Open.
Outside of the U.S. Open-specific event, Moccia said there was "absolutely" an increased demand at the property's food-and-beverage outlets during the duration of the tournament.
"We've seen a lot of folks before their match, they meet up, have a cocktail, have some light bites and then head out. And we've also seen the folks that are coming back," he said. "We have seen an increase in volume in our lobby bar, as well as our F&B outlets as well."
The Park Hyatt New York offered a "Match Point Suite Experience" that came with a $200 hotel credit for on-property amenities, a round of Park Hyatt Deuce cocktails and roundtrip luxury rides to and from the tournament. Area Vice President and General Manager Laurent Ebzant said in an email interview that it also partnered with luxury flower company FlowerBX to curate a U.S. Open-inspired floral arrangement in the lobby.
"Events like the U.S. Open always have a profound impact on hotel demand," Ebzant said. "Our property sees an increase in international travelers, though we're seeing a shift now in increased domestic travel, as well."
It's not just the food-and-beverage outlets that see an increased demand.
"[The U.S. Open] brings back the energy in the city ... the summer months in the city can be a little tricky when it comes to occupancy," Moccia said. "When it comes to occupancy, you get a lot of transient travelers, but this is more of a focus-driven traveler, being so close to the subway, to Grand Central for easy access to the stadium."
John Beck, regional director at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said the company's Crowne Plaza HY36 Midtown Manhattan property tries to bring the energy of big New York events to the hotel. It had tennis-inspired menu items — such as its own take on the famed Honey Deuce — at its onsite restaurant Burgerology to pair with live match viewings.
The tournament draws in international travelers, tennis fans and locals who want a piece of the energy, Beck said. This benefits its food-and-beverage outlets as well as hotel demand.
"Major events like the U.S. Open have a tremendous impact across the board," he said. "We see increased hotel bookings from travelers coming specifically for the tournament, and Burgerology becomes a hub for both guests and locals to gather. It really underscores the advantage of being in the heart of New York City."