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

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.

Follow @kstonezone