Lighthouse Quick Takes - March Madness hotel and short-term rental pricing trends

In this Lighthouse Quick Take, Blake Reiter explores how the 2026 March Madness tournament impacted hotel and short-term rental pricing across host cities. Using year over year ADR comparisons, he breaks down where hotels held pricing power, where short-term rentals outperformed and how market size and traveler behavior shaped results.Blake also examines lead time trends from the Final Four and championship weekend in Indianapolis, showing how pricing shifted once teams and fan bases were confirmed. Listeners will better understand how major sporting events create different pricing dynamics across lodging asset classes and why last-minute demand signals matter for commercial strategy.Explore more of Lighthouse’s travel & hospitality research: mylh.co/spotlightinsights