The entire Minnesota market saw only a slight drop of 0.8% in occupancy rates for October compared to the previous month. The Duluth, Minnesota North Area and Mankato markets led the state with an occupancy rate over 60%. The Minneapolis market had the lowest occupancy rate in the state at 43.8% but this is an increase by 5.4% compared to the previous month. At a 55% occupancy rate, the entire Minnesota market trailed behind the total United States by 7.9%.
 
The October 2021 lodging market continued to show improvement compared to one year ago. Minnesota’s statewide October 2021 RevPAR of $62.55 marked a year-over-year increase of more than 69.2% against October 2020, and year-to-date RevPAR in Minnesota was up from 2020 RevPAR through October by 43.4%. National year-to-date RevPAR, by comparison, was up 50.6%. Duluth continued to lead the state in October with $109.71 RevPAR. The Duluth market’s year-to-date RevPAR in 2021 measured 49.1% higher than the first ten months of 2020, driven by a 29.2% increase in occupancy in 2021.

​The entire Minnesota market saw a drop of 5.9% in occupancy rates for September compared to the previous month. This is not unexpected with the start of fall and tourism season at a close. The Duluth, Minnesota North Area, Mankato and Minnesota South Area markets led the state with an occupancy rate over 60%. The Minneapolis market had the lowest occupancy rate in the state at 38.4%. Despite this decline in Minneapolis, this rate is still higher than the rate in July. At a 55.8% occupancy rate, the entire Minnesota market trailed behind the total United States by 5.8%, though Minnesota outperformed the total United States in September, year-over-year occupancy percentage change from 29.5% to 27.6%.
 
The September 2021 lodging market continued to show improvement compared to one year ago. Minnesota’s statewide September 2021 RevPAR of $63.37 marked a year-over-year increase of more than 56% against September 2020, and year-to-date RevPAR in Minnesota was up from 2020 RevPAR through September by 40.4%. National year-to-date RevPAR, by comparison, was up 47.3%. Duluth continued to lead the state in August with $119.77 RevPAR. The Duluth market’s year-to-date RevPAR in 2021 measured 54.8% higher than the first nine months of 2020, driven by a 28.1% increase in occupancy in 2021.

​The lodging market in the month of August 2021 continued to show improvement compared to one year ago. Minnesota’s statewide RevPAR of $73.10 in August marked a year-over-year increase of more than 73% against the month of August 2020. Year-to-date RevPAR in Minnesota was up from 2020 RevPAR through August by 38%. National year-to-date RevPAR, by comparison, was up 44.3%. 
 
Duluth continued to lead the state in August with $143.16 RevPAR. The Duluth market’s year-to-date RevPAR in 2021 measured 54.8% higher than the first eight months of 2020, driven by a 32.7% increase in occupancy in 2021. 
 
The Duluth and Minnesota North Area markets led the state in occupancy with over a 75% rate. The Minneapolis market occupancy notably increased in August by 4.6% compared to July but continues to see the lowest occupancy rate in the state at 42.4%. At a 61.7% occupancy rate, the entire Minnesota market narrowed the gap in August with the total United States and only trailed by 1.5%. Minnesota outperformed the total United States in August 2021 occupancy percent change from August 2020 at 40.6% compared to 29.7%. 

​The hotel market in the month of July 2021 continues to show improvement compared to one year ago. Minnesota’s statewide RevPAR of $73.40 in July marked a year-over-year increase of more than 83% against the month of July 2020. Year-to-date RevPAR in Minnesota was up from 2020 RevPAR through July by 31.5%. National year-to-date RevPAR, by comparison, was up 39.6% through July.

Duluth continued to lead the state in July with $143.58 RevPAR. The Duluth market’s year-to-date RevPAR in 2021 measured 60.5% higher than the first seven months of 2020, driven by a 31.3% increase in occupancy in 2021.

The Duluth, Minnesota North Area and Mankato markets led the state in occupancy all with over a 70% rate. The Minneapolis market occupancy increased this month but continues to see the lowest occupancy rate in the state at 37.8%. The occupancy rate for the entire Minnesota market improved in July by 4.3% compared to the month prior. At a 63.5% occupancy rate, the entire Minnesota market is closing the gap with the total United States and only trails behind by 6.1%.

​The hotel market in the month of June 2021 showed improvement compared to one year ago. Minnesota’s statewide RevPAR of $62.70 in June marked a year-over-year increase of more than 106% against the month of June 2020. Year-to-date RevPAR in Minnesota was up from 2020 RevPAR through June by 20.3%. National year-to-date RevPAR, by comparison, was up 27.4% through June. 

Duluth continued to lead the state in June with $110.54 RevPAR. The Duluth market’s year-to-date RevPAR in 2021 measured 59.3% higher than the first six months of 2020, driven by a 37.3% increase in occupancy in 2021. 
 
The Minneapolis market occupancy rate inched up this month but continues to see the lowest occupancy rate in the state at 29.8%. Similarly, the occupancy rate for the entire Minnesota market improved in June by 12.2%. However, at 58.9%, Minnesota’s occupancy rate still trails behind the total United States by 7.2%.

​The hotel market in the month of May 2021 showed improvement compared to one year ago. Minnesota’s statewide RevPAR of $44.66 in May marked a year-over-year increase of more than 130% against the month of May 2020. Year-to-date RevPAR in Minnesota was up from 2020 RevPAR through May by 4.3%. National year-to-date RevPAR, by comparison, was up 12.6% through May.

Duluth continued to lead the state in May with $68.40 RevPAR. The Duluth market’s year-to-date RevPAR in 2021 measured 42.4% higher than the first five months of 2020, driven by a 30.7% increase in occupancy in 2021.

The Minneapolis market continues to see lowest occupancy rate in the state at 24.5%. The occupancy rate for the entire Minnesota market is at 46.7% which still trails behind the total United States by 12.6%. May found a few more markets at over 50% occupancy, specifically Minneapolis South Area, Duluth, Minnesota North Area, Mankato and Minnesota South Area.

​The hotel market in the month of April 2021 showed dramatic improvement compared to one year ago. Minnesota’s statewide RevPAR of $39.18 in April marked a year-over-year increase of more than 200% against the month of April 2020. Year-to-date RevPAR in Minnesota, however, lagged 2020 RevPAR through April by 13.1%. National year-to-date RevPAR, by comparison, was down 6.0% through April. 

Duluth continued to lead the state in April with $50.85 RevPAR. The Duluth market’s year-to-date RevPAR in 2021 measured 19.0% higher than the first four months of 2020, driven by a 16.5% increase in occupancy in 2021. 

The Minneapolis-St. Paul market extended its run of improved performance in April with a 23.0% month-over-month increase in RevPAR compared to March 2021. The Bloomington market led the metro area in April with occupancy exceeding 50% for the month. Through April, the Twin Cities’ year-to-date RevPAR is still 28.6% below the level recorded in the first four months of 2020, as the industry’s gradual recovery will continue into the summer.

​The state of Minnesota recorded a year-over-year RevPAR increase of 13.6% in March 2021 compared to March of the previous year, when business closures for the COVID-19 pandemic initially went into effect. This year-over-year increase, however, lagged the national average, which showed a 34.4% improvement in RevPAR for the month of March 2021. 

Greater Minnesota markets, led by Duluth and Rochester, continued to outperform the Twin Cities. Duluth remained the top performing market in the state with year-to-date RevPAR of $40.00 through March, which is just 7% below the level that Duluth recorded in the first quarter of 2020. 

The Minneapolis-St. Paul market continued to gradually improve, recording its strongest month of the year in March 2021. The market’s RevPAR in March of $29.85 represented nearly a 50% increase from just two months prior. For the fourth consecutive month, going back to December 2020, every submarket in the Twin Cities has increased both its RevPAR and occupancy levels.

​Hotel performance in the new year continued a gradual upward trend in Minnesota, with February 2021 occupancy recorded at 34.4%. The state’s February RevPAR of $29.09 represented a 46.4% year-over-year decrease compared to the same month in 2020, which was the last month before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was widely felt in Minnesota. 

The top performing markets in the state during the month of February 2021 were Rochester and Duluth, each with RevPAR at nearly $40. The national average, by comparison, was $44.57 RevPAR in February 2021, although this figure was nearly 45% lower than national RevPAR in February 2020. 

The Minneapolis-St. Paul market continued to lag the rest of the state’s performance. Although the Minneapolis CBD remained the lowest performer with 18.7% occupancy, no submarket in the Twin Cities recorded RevPAR higher than $30 in the month of February. Year-to-date 2021 RevPAR in the Twin Cities through the month of February was 60.8% lower than the first two months of 2020.

​Minnesota’s hotel market began the new year with continued, gradual improvement over previous months’ performance, with statewide occupancy recorded at 30.6% in January 2021. Although this figure represented a 34.7% decrease from the same month of the previous year, it was a significant step up from December 2020 levels in the state. Minnesota’s statewide occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR in January 2021, however, all lagged national averages.  

The state’s top performing market in January was Rochester with $35.79 RevPAR. Rochester and other greater Minnesota markets like Duluth and St. Cloud recorded relatively minor downward adjustment to ADR in January 2021 compared to the 29.2% year-over-year decrease in ADR that the Minneapolis-St. Paul market experienced. 

January 2021 occupancy and RevPAR levels in the Twin Cities represented month-over-month improvements of 11.0% and 15.3%, respectively, as the market continued a gradual recovery through the winter months.