The concern of hotel owners in the USA regarding the low level of reservations before the World Cup

The concern of hotel owners in the USA regarding the low level of reservations before the World Cup
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Walking through the streets of Kansas City, Houston, Miami and New York, in the United States, it is difficult to ignore that the 2026 FIFA Men's Football World Cup is about to begin.
There are countless billboards and posters on the doors of bars. The stores offer a wide range of tournament-themed products.
But for hotel owners and their reservation systems, the buzz seems more like a murmur.
Industry associations say that most hotels in World Cup host cities are recording lower booking levels than at the same time last year. And the hotel owners who spoke to the BBC have expressed their disappointment so far.
For Deidre Mathis, the hotel sector thought the World Cup would be a 'phenomenon'
CJ Washington
"We were sold the expectation that the World Cup would be a big phenomenon. People have been talking about it for years", commented the owner of the Wanderstay Boutique Hotel in Houston, in the US state of Texas, Deidre Mathis.
"When we reviewed our calendar and saw that, in February, March and April, we had not yet exhausted our reservations [for the tournament] - and this is not just us, in Houston, but everywhere -, we were here, simply very disconcerted", she told the BBC.
The Wanderstay Hotel is just over 1.5 km walk from the fans zone to be installed in Houston and a short drive from the stadium that will host the games in the city.
At the moment, the hotel is at 45% of its capacity reserved for the tournament period, compared to 70% recorded at the same time last year, according to Mathis.
Politicized environment and expensive tournament
The concern of hotel owners in the USA regarding the low level of reservations before the World Cup
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Mathis specifically blames the "political climate" experienced during the second term of American President Donald Trump. She particularly cites the immigration raids by agents from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), carried out in cities across the country.
Mathis also mentioned the increase in the cost of living, due to the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, and the "extraordinarily" high ticket prices for World Cup matches.
Donald Trump himself, an enthusiastic supporter of the World Cup and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, declared that "I wouldn't pay either", when asked about ticket prices.
Tickets on sale for the final, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, in the United States, were officially offered for up to US$32,970 (around R$166,200). The resale market quoted tickets at more than US$2 million (around R$10.1 million).
"Therefore, I believe it is a set of factors, all combined into one", according to Mathis. "But it's really regrettable and I believe that, in the next four weeks, positive changes can emerge."
Mathis asked FIFA to reduce ticket prices and also called on the American government to speed up visa procedures for fans who want to attend the event.
Between hotels and Airbnb
Despite complaints from the hotel industry, Airbnb claims to have seen an unprecedented increase in visits to its platform
Reproduction/TV Globo
The American Hotel and Accommodation Association (AHLA) represents tens of thousands of clients, ranging from major hotel chains to independent businesses.
The entity found that eight out of 10 hotels in World Cup host cities are seeing lower demand than expected. They warn that the tournament did not translate into a solid volume of bookings.
In research conducted by AHLA, many participants described the tournament as an "irrelevant event." The majority declared that the rate of reserves is below the usual levels typical of summer in the country.
The president and executive director of AHLA, Rosanna Maietta, explained to the BBC that the war in Iran is one of the factors responsible for this situation. But she highlighted that part of the fans may be waiting to know exactly where their team will play, before booking accommodation.
The Airbnb platform claims that the 2026 World Cup is presented as "the biggest hosting event" in its history.
Hamish Husband will go to the World Cup to accompany the Scotland team
Hamish Husband
'It's a scandal'
Hamish Husband, from the Tartan Army Clubs Association (the name of the Tartan Army's fans Scottish football team), will spend up to US$13,000 (around R$65,500) to travel to the United States and follow Scotland's campaign in the tournament.
He and his brother will stay in hotels throughout the World Cup and the total expense will depend on the success of their country's team.
This will be Scotland's ninth participation in 23 World Cups (the last was in 1998, in France). The Scots have never made it past the group stage.
Husband says Scotland's rare appearance at the World Cup has seen many fans travel despite concerns about the cost. And the main issue, according to him, is "the exorbitant ticket prices imposed by FIFA on fans."
"There is no justice in football anymore, but paying US$1,000 [about R$5,000] to see Scotland vs. Haiti is a scandal," he complained to the BBC.
Eleven American cities will host 2026 World Cup matches
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Husband says that, in Mexico, residents with average salaries are unable to access tickets to watch the matches. He praises Canada's efforts to curb scalpers' exorbitant prices.
The Tartan Army was one of the biggest attractions at Euro 2024 in Germany and received affection from local residents. Scottish fans walked through the streets of the cities, singing and dancing, on the way to the stadiums.
At the 2026 World Cup, Scotland will be in Brazil's group for the fifth time and will also face Morocco and Haiti.
Expecting the increase
Stephen Jenkins pins his hopes on the last-minute influx of fanatical fans
The Fontaine Hotel
Stephen Jenkins is manager of the Fontaine Hotel in Kansas City, in the American state of Missouri. He told the BBC that, in terms of bookings, the hotel is in a "very similar situation" to the same time last year.
"We are not seeing the increase that we had predicted," said Jenkins. He is doing everything he can to enjoy the World Cup.
Jenkins was hoping for a rush, as hosting the tournament in one's own city is a "once in a lifetime experience." But, so far, he is disappointed.
But Jenkins told the BBC that he had recorded a slight increase in bookings with the announcement of the World Cup schedule and expects to see a "much greater acceleration as the matches get closer".
To illustrate the degree of hope placed by local businesses in the success of the tournament, Jenkins stated that the festival created for fans (the Fifa Fan Festival) will be "a determining factor".
The Fontaine Hotel itself will promote a "Culinary Cup". There, guests will be able to taste themed dishes, inspired by the countries whose teams will play in Kansas City.
The debut of Argentina, the current champion, is scheduled for the Missouri city on June 16, against the Algerian team.
But Jenkins claims that superstar Lionel Messi has not yet exerted the same power of attraction as pop star Taylor Swift, when her Eras tour visited the city in 2023.
He admits that this is not a "fair comparison", due to the greater concentration of dates compared to the World Cup. But Jenkins described Swift's visit as "a city-wide sell-out event."
Manuel Deisen also expects a late spike in hotel bookings
InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta
'Not exactly what we expected'
Also for Manuel Deisen, general manager of the InterContinental Buckhead Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, "the volume of inquiries and reservations we are seeing is below the usual levels for them. dates."
"It's not exactly what we expected," he highlighted.
But Deisen says he noticed an "incredible enthusiasm" for the tournament and predicts a last-minute spike. He believes that fans are waiting until the end to confirm their reservations.
The hotel has made the World Cup a central element of its summer program. Plans are to rebroadcast the matches and organize themed football events, aimed at both fans from abroad and local residents, throughout the competition.
FIFA reported that demand for tournament tickets is "unprecedented" and that more than five million tickets have already been sold. for just US$60 (about R$302), while the higher priced tickets were set to avoid speculation by scalpers.
The White House created a special working group for the World Cup, with the aim of ensuring that the tournament goes off without a hitch.
As part of the preparations, the American government exempted football fans from 50 countries from the requirement to deposit US$15,000 (about R$75,600) to request their visas, as long as they demonstrate that they already have valid tickets for the matches.
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