Half of Americans plan to travel this holiday season, with hotels remaining the top choice for lodging

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 30, 2025) -- Half of U.S. adults plan to travel overnight for leisure before the end of the year, and nearly one-third (31%) of employed adults expect to travel overnight for business, according to a new survey commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and conducted by Morning Consult.

Hotels remain the top lodging choice for both leisure (44%) and business travelers (63%), with nearly four in five hotel guests planning to stay at midscale or higher-end properties.

Americans are most likely to take an overnight family trip (46%), while 34% expect to travel overnight for Thanksgiving and 37% for Christmas. Travelers on romantic getaways (53%) and solo adventures (48%) are especially likely to choose hotels, while those visiting family for the holidays are more likely to stay with relatives.

Despite these positive signals, travel intention has declined slightly from last fall and winter, with many citing rising costs across the economy (45%) as the top reason for scaling back plans. About half say inflation could make them less likely to travel overnight (49%) in the months ahead. However, 46% plan to take an overnight family trip in the next four months, even as many Americans are concerned over the potential impact this could have on their wallets.

"These findings reinforce what we know: Americans want to travel, and they overwhelmingly trust and depend on hotels when they do," said Rosanna Maietta, AHLA President & CEO. "Despite this positive sentiment, it's clear that rising costs and economic uncertainty are having a lingering effect on travel plans. That's why AHLA advocates every day across all levels of government for policies that strengthen the hotel industry, its workforce and bolster consumer confidence."

Morning Consult Survey Methodology
This poll was conducted between September 6 and September 8, 2025, among a sample of 2,202 adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, region, gender by age, and race by educational attainment. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 to 6 percentage points depending on the audience.

CONTACT: [email protected]