Chicago Shatters Records with 8.2M Hotel Stays, Bucking National Trends
In a historic achievement for Chicago’s tourism industry, leisure hotel room demand soared to a record 8.2 million room nights in 2025. This success defies national trends, which saw a 0.5% decline in hotel demand, according to Choose Chicago, the city’s official tourism agency.
Chicago’s impressive 2.3% growth over 2024 was driven predominantly by domestic leisure travel. The summer months of June through August saw hotels in the city’s central business district fill more than 3.56 million room nights. This translated to nearly $949 million in hotel revenue, marking the busiest summer season since the pre-pandemic era.
Several key events contributed to this surge in tourism. These included:
- Concerts by BLACKPINK and other major artists
- Pride Fest
- Lollapalooza
- Chicago’s first-ever live broadcast of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”
These events led to the busiest New Year’s Eve for Chicago hotels on record. Additionally, the city secured 65 future conventions in 2025, exceeding its target of 49.
“Despite the global tourism industry facing social and economic headwinds, leisure travelers and event planners continue to choose Chicago for our world-class culture, food, events, and hospitality,” said Kristen Reynolds, President and CEO of Choose Chicago. Tourism in the city generates an estimated $20 billion annual economic impact and supports 130,000 hospitality jobs.
Source: Travel and Tour World