How World Cup Fans Gave Los Angeles Hotels a Last-Minute Surprise

What Happened? (The Simple Version)

The World Cup is a huge soccer tournament. When it came to Los Angeles, at first not many fans booked hotel rooms. But right before the games, they suddenly showed up! This filled hotels and made prices go up.

Early May: Hotels Were Worried

A group called the American Hotel and Lodging Assn. (they track hotel business) shared a report in early May—just about a month before the games.

They found:

• 80% of hotel people said bookings were below what they first expected.
• More than 65% of Los Angeles hotel people said bookings were lower than a normal summer.
• Half of the LA hotel people thought two things caused slow early bookings:
  • Visa barriers (a visa is like a permission slip to enter a country; if it’s hard to get, people may stay home).
  • The distance from the game venue (SoFi Stadium) to some hotels.

Important: Many also worried that high ticket prices would hurt attendance, but the final turnout was better than those early guesses.

The Last-Minute Rush

Before the last tournament game in LA on Friday, hotels liked by soccer fans said they were full and charging more money per night.

The hotel group said the late boom happened because young international travelers waited until right before the game to book, hoping for last-minute deals (cheaper prices).

Rosanna Maietta, the group’s boss, said exactly:

“Demand has picked up, consistent with a recent trend toward shorter booking windows for events of this caliber. Unlike typical leisure travel, many travelers finalized plans and secured tickets closer to the start of the games.”

Here’s the timeline in easy steps:

1. A month before: Hotels saw few bookings.
2. Fans waited to get tickets and check for price drops.
3. Right before games: They booked quickly.
4. Hotels filled up and raised rates.

Beach Hotels: The Pierside Example

The Pierside hotel in Santa Monica (by the beach) was super busy during the World Cup. Many tourists stayed there even though it’s far from SoFi Stadium.

• The Pierside had no rooms left for the weekend.
• A Pierside manager said: “We’ll have a day or two gap, but other than that we’ve been full. I think beach-side hotels have been busier, because tourists are more interested in going to the beach while here.”

Stadium District: Anthem Hotel

In the "Stadium District" (area near the stadium), the Anthem Hotel saw even more guests than expected, from both the US and other countries.

• The few rooms left late in the week cost more than $500 per night.
• Ruben Flores, its general manager, said: “Many guests are planning longer stays, using match days as the centerpiece of a broader Los Angeles itinerary. Being in the heart of the Stadium District puts us in a unique position to welcome fans who want the energy of the tournament to extend beyond the stadium.”

Downtown: Hotel Indigo

Hotel Indigo in downtown LA got a spike in bookings the days before the July 2 knockout game between Spain and Austria (a game where the loser is out).

• Earlier, FIFA (the World Cup organizer) had reserved thousands of downtown rooms for staff, media, and others, but canceled those reservations—freeing space for fans.

Not Every Hotel Joined the Party

Hotel June, next to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), did not see the boom.

• Kira Moreno from Hotel June said: “We were expecting more reservations, but I think it’s because the rates have gone up. We have still been steady but not been too full or too busy, pretty similar to any other day.”

Callout: Location and price made a big difference—beach and stadium hotels won, airport hotel stayed calm.

Airbnb Alternative

Some fans used Airbnb (renting a person’s home instead of a hotel). They had a "World Cup bundle":

• Free World Cup tickets with select stays.
• Average price about $365 per night.

LA Tourism Bigger Struggles

Even with the World Cup, LA has had trouble attracting visitors lately.

• Last year, international tourists dropped 5.5% from the year before—the first drop since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
• Reasons fewer came:
  • Immigration raids (authorities checking if people can legally stay).
  • Wildfires.
  • Canadian tourists (usually the biggest foreign group in California) fell 21%.
• Flying got pricey because:
  • The U.S.–Iran conflict continued.
  • The Strait of Hormuz (a key oil shipping lane) closed.
  • Jet fuel prices skyrocketed, making international trips unrealistic.
• International air travel to LA County fell 30% from August to November 2025.

Summary

• Early on, LA hotels feared empty rooms due to visa issues, distance, and pricey tickets.
• At the last minute, especially young global fans booked, filling beach and stadium hotels.
• Pierside and Anthem were full; Hotel June was not.
• Airbnb gave a ticket-plus-stay deal.
• Broadly, LA tourism is still down because of raids, fires, and costly flights from world conflicts.

FAQ

1. Why were hotels empty early?
Because a month before, many fans waited for visas, saw far distances, and hoped for cheaper last-minute deals rather than booking early.

2. What changed at the end?
Young international travelers finalized plans and bought tickets close to the games, then quickly booked hotel rooms, causing a fill-up.

3. Did all hotels benefit?
No. Hotel June near the airport stayed steady but not full, as higher rates kept some away.

4. What was the Airbnb World Cup bundle?
It gave free World Cup tickets with certain home stays, averaging $365 per night.

5. Why is LA tourism generally lower?
Immigration raids, wildfires, fewer Canadian visitors, and much higher flight costs from the U.S.–Iran conflict and closed Strait of Hormuz hurt travel.