Recent trends in Arlington’s hotel-occupancy and room rates are pointing modestly upward after a downturn in 2025.
For the first four months of 2026, the county’s hotel-occupancy rate was up 2% year-over-year, while the revenue per available room was up nearly 6%, according to new data.
“These are all really good signs,” said Kate Ange, Arlington’s interim economic-development director. She was speaking at the June 9 meeting of the Economic Development Commission.
Ange did not detail specifics, but said the trends appear to be moving in the right direction.
“We don’t quite know what the future holds, but we’re taking this as a really positive sign,” she said.
Ben Joseph, general manager of the AC Hotel Arlington National Landing and a member of the Economic Development Commission, said several factors were helping the county’s hotel/motel market. He noted increased occupancy owing to celebrations around the nation’s 250th birthday, and said an expected surge in National Guard troops to D.C. for summer duties will fill rooms that otherwise would go unoccupied.
July and August typically are lower-occupancy months in the local region, but Joseph said hoteliers were expecting occupancy percentages to be in the “high 80s” for summer.
In 2025, the overall occupancy rate was 69%, down from 74% a year before. Additionally, the average revenue per available room — which counts both filled and unfilled rooms — was $135.94 for the year, down from $147.26.
For rooms that were filled, the annual average daily room rate of $195.14 in 2025 was essentially unchanged from $195.43 a year before.
The June 9 commission meeting marked the last for Ange as acting director. The post has been filled by Anna Nissinen, who was recruited from Fairfax County.
Still to be filled is the director slot of Arlington Economic Development’s Business Investment Group. Michael Stiefvater, who served in that post for four years, recently left to become vice president of commercial business development and marketing for JBG Smith.
