ARIZONA NEWS

Tempe hotels raked in a record $175M in room sales last year

Feb 11, 2019, 2:09 PM

(Pixabay Photo)...

(Pixabay Photo)

(Pixabay Photo)

PHOENIX – The hotel business is booming in Tempe.

Room sales in the East Valley suburb generated a record $175 million in 2018, a 12 percent increase from the previous year, according to the Tempe Tourism Office.

In another positive sign for the city’s tourism industry, around 250,000 more hotel rooms were sold in 2018 than in 2016.

In a press release from last week, the city attributed the growth to a variety of factors, including an influx of hotels.

The release said 600 additional rooms became available in 2017, with Home2 Suites, Fairfield Inn and two Hilton Garden Inns among the new hotels.

That capacity will continue to grow with new Westin, Canopy by Hilton and Omni hotels in the pipeline.

The release cited business opportunities, the popularity of Arizona State University, the addition of flights into the area and the marketing efforts of the Tempe Tourism Office for the increased demand.

“There’s always something to do in our community, like Ironman Arizona, spring training baseball and great outdoor festivals,” Mayor Mark Mitchell said in the release.

“Business travelers come here to be part of leading-edge research being done by biotech companies and Arizona State University.”

The release said 3.7 million tourists a year spend $730.5 million in Tempe, and 8,000 workers are employed in the city’s tourism industry.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

The United States is gearing up for Cinco de Mayo. Music, all-day happy hours and deals on tacos ar...

Associated Press

It’s Cinco de Mayo time, and festivities are planned across the US. But in Mexico, not so much

The US is gearing up for Cinco de Mayo. Music, all-day happy hours and deals on tacos are planned at venues across the country on Sunday.

2 hours ago

Fire crews are fighting the Sugar Fire of 240 acres in Tonto National Forest located along Forest R...

KTAR.com

Fire crews fighting ‘Sugar Fire’ in Tonto National Forest

Fire crews are fighting the 'Sugar Fire' in Tonto National Forest located along Forest Road 402 that leads near Sugarloaf Mountain.

3 hours ago

Phoenix police detectives want to find fatal stabber...

KTAR.com

Man dead, another hospitalized after car rolls over in neighborhood

Police is investigating a fatal collision on Friday in Phoenix that left one man dead and another hospitalized, authorities said.

5 hours ago

Rattlesnake Ready trainer Cody Will plays a recording of rattlesnakes for Arlo, a German shepherd, ...

Analisa Valdez/Cronkite News

Cave Creek business trains dogs to avoid rattlesnakes in summer months

Rattlesnake season in Arizona is ramping up and while that means watching out for snakes – it can mean watching out for your pets, too.

6 hours ago

(Taco Chelo photos)...

KTAR.com

Taco Chelo’s second location to open in Tempe on May 10

Taco Chelo, an established taquería in downtown Phoenix, plans to open a second location in Tempe next week.

9 hours ago

A stock image of a sign indicating a 40 mph speed limit....

KTAR.com

Tempe seeking public input on proposed speed limit changes

The city of Tempe is considering changing the speed limit on several of its roadways, including Mill Avenue.

11 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DESERT INSTITUTE FOR SPINE CARE

Desert Institute for Spine Care is the place for weekend warriors to fix their back pain

Spring has sprung and nothing is better than March in Arizona. The temperatures are perfect and with the beautiful weather, Arizona has become a hotbed for hikers, runners, golfers, pickleball players and all types of weekend warriors.

...

Fiesta Bowl Foundation

The 51st annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade is excitingly upon us

The 51st annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe is upon us! The attraction honors Arizona and the history of the game.

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Avoid a potential emergency and get your home’s heating and furnace safety checked

With the weather getting colder throughout the Valley, the best time to make sure your heating is all up to date is now. 

Tempe hotels raked in a record $175M in room sales last year