The latest monthly report from Accommodation Australia identifies AFL matches as a major contributor to hotel performance. AFL finals matches, once held only at the game’s traditional home, Melbourne’s MCG, were this year spread across all mainland states.
Perth hosted two AFL home finals matches, Fremantle against Hawthorn and Fremantle against Geelong, which saw fans from regional WA and interstate, together with corporate accommodation blocks, quickly fill available rooms in Peth’s tight hotel supply.
The AFL Grand Final later in the month saw an exodus from Perth to Melbourne with airlines reportedly adding 52 extra return flights to meet Fremantle fan demand. This, in turn, led Melbourne to record a one-day maximum hotel occupancy of 93.4 per cent on Saturday September 26, the day of the AFL Grand Final, while Melbourne’s monthly average was 75.6 per cent, below almost every other capital, reflecting a continued oversupply of hotel rooms in the city.
Average daily rates (ADR) for September saw the leisure-driven Gold Coast top the list with an ADR of $292.41, reflecting the school holiday period, ahead of Sydney’s ADR of $273.65 and Perth at $257.40.
Revenue per available room (RevPAR) saw Sydney achieve $226.62, just ahead of Perth at $223.21 and the Gold Coast at $210.60.
While major events such as the AFL Grand Final provide corporates with incentive and networking opportunities for their clients, traditional business events played a significant role in September’s hotel performance.
Melbourne staged a number of summits across finance technology, the business of sports, artificial intelligence and wind energy as well as hosting the World Chambers Congress and the four-day World Gastroenterology Congress.
Sydney also hosted summits on business startups, HR culture and leadership, supply chain management and wholesale investment alongside a circular economy forum.
Brisbane had a range of professional networking, trade fairs and charity-focused forums, alongside major public events including Riverfire.
Adelaide hosted one AFL final that saw a sell-out crowd of more than 51,370 fill Adelaide Oval. It also had a solid business events calendar during the month that included the Asia-Pacific Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition, the National Rural Health Conference, Rural Medicine Australia 2026 and national conferences for financial advisors and the NDIS as well as a practical AI solutions workshop for business.
