MINNEAPOLIS— Signs of positive recovery for the city’s tourism industry continue a Meet Minneapolis announced that the final week of summer recorded the highest weekly demand for hotel rooms in Minneapolis since the fall of 2019.
More than 56,000 hotel rooms were occupied from Aug. 27 to Sept. 2, thanks to events throughout the city and region, including the 2023 Gay Softball World Series. That week capped a successful summer as major events – many of which were booked by Meet Minneapolis – translated into significantly improved overall performance for Minneapolis hotels.
“We’re thrilled with the summer we had in Minneapolis as people from all over came to our city for the many theater, sports, arts, music and business events hosted across our community,” said Meet Minneapolis President and CEO Melvin Tennant. “All of that activity provides a significant boost to the Minneapolis economy and supports the nearly 30,000 tourism and hospitality workers in the city.”
From Memorial Day to Labor Day this year, demand for hotel rooms in Minneapolis increased nearly 11% compared to the summer of 2022. On June 23-24 – with Taylor Swift concerts, the Twin Cities Pride Festival and the Kiwanis International Convention all taking place in the city – Minneapolis set a new all-time record for total hotel rooms occupied on a weekend with 19,531.
“Minneapolis shone brightly this summer,” said Meet Minneapolis board member Christy Loy, General Manager of the Canopy by Hilton Minneapolis Mill District. “Visitors from near and far came to our city for a wide variety of events and the hospitality community really came together to showcase Minneapolis. We’re excited to carry this momentum forward in the seasons ahead.”
Minneapolis hotel performance for summer 2023 – by the numbers*:
2023 Demand (rooms sold)
| 617,616 | Total rooms sold, an increase of nearly 11% from summer 2022 |
| 210,702 | August hotel rooms sold; highest since October 2019 (218,764) |
| 56,248 | Highest weekly hotel room demand in 2023 (Aug. 27-Sept. 2.) |
| Highest since Oct. 20-27, 2019 (56,406) |
2023 Occupancy
| 63.0% | Hotel occupancy rate, an increase of nearly 7% from summer 2022 |
| 66.2% | August hotel occupancy rate; highest since October 2019 (75.4%) |
| 78.3% | Highest weekly hotel occupancy rate for the year (Aug. 27-Sept. 2.) |
| Highest since Oct. 20-27, 2019 (81.4%) |
2023 Revenue
| $107M | Total guest room revenue; increase of more than 10% from summer 2022 |
* All data according to hospitality industry data provider Smith Travel Research (STR)
Many of the summer’s highest in-demand days for hotel rooms in Minneapolis occurred when large events were held at major venues in the city, such as the Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC), Target Field and U.S. Bank Stadium:
| Date | Rooms Sold | Occupancy | Large Event(s) |
| June 23, 2023 | 9,888 | 96.3% | Taylor Swift concert, Twin Cities Pride Festival, Kiwanis International Convention |
| June 13, 2023 | 9,888 | 96.3% | USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championships, Twins-Brewers |
| July 25, 2023 | 9,818 | 92.0% | Microscopy & Microanalysis 2023, AVID Summer Institute, Minneapolis Aquatennial, Twins-Mariners |
| June 24, 2023 | 9,643 | 93.9% | Taylor Swift concert, Twin Cities Pride Festival, Kiwanis International Convention |
| Sept. 2, 2023 | 9,422 | 91.8% | Gay Softball World Series, Minnesota State Fair |
That good news is tempered by the continued lag in business travel, which is still slow to return to pre-pandemic levels.
