Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., 20 October 2025 – Fresh data from short-term rental analytics company Key Data shows that hotels and vacation rentals in Austin moved almost in step ahead of this year’s Formula 1 Grand Prix, while guests waited longer to book their stays than they did in 2024.
The findings point to a tightening connection between the two sectors, and reflect a wider shift toward shorter booking windows across major travel events, as guests grow more confident booking closer to arrival and destinations adapt to more flexible travel behavior.
Key Data identified a 0.91 correlation between hotel and vacation rental guest nights in Austin during the weeks surrounding the 2025 race period. When vacation rental bookings increased, hotel occupancy followed soon after — confirming that vacation rental pacing continues to provide a reliable early signal for hotel performance.
For hotel revenue and operations teams, that correlation matters. Because vacation rentals tend to book first, their performance data can help hotels forecast upcoming spikes in demand, plan staffing levels, and refine pricing strategies during high-impact events.
Guests are booking closer to the event
Compared with 2024, both hotels and vacation rentals saw fewer bookings made more than 180 days before the race and stronger pickup between 30 and 179 days. The shift points to shorter booking windows, with more travelers finalizing their stays closer to major event dates.
| Booking Window | Hotels 2024 | Hotels 2025 | Δ Hotels | Vacation Rentals 2024 | Vacation Rentals 2025 | Δ Vacation Rentals |
| 15–29 days | 18.1 % | 10.3 % | -7.8 | 7.6 % | 11.4 % | +3.8 |
| 30–59 days | 30.2 % | 39.0 % | +8.8 | 24.4 % | 32.0 % | +7.6 |
| 60–179 days | 26.0 % | 33.2 % | +7.2 | 35.9 % | 41.9 % | +6.0 |
| 180 + days | 25.6 % | 17.5 % | -8.1 | 32.0 % | 14.7 % | -17.3 |
Vacation rentals saw a 17.3-point drop in bookings made six months or more in advance and a sharp rise in reservations within the 30-to-179-day range. Hotels followed the same pattern, though their early booking decline was less steep.
Quinn Monescalchi, Senior Data Insights Analyst at Key Data, said: “The Formula 1 weekend in Austin gives a clear snapshot of how hotel demand builds around a major event. We saw hotels and vacation rentals move almost in sync, responding to the same traveler behavior. Guests compared options across both sectors and booked later than in the previous year. For hotels, watching that vacation rental pacing provides an early read on when demand is starting to accelerate, helping them prepare pricing and operations accordingly.”
The analysis draws on Key Data’s direct-source performance datasets covering professionally managed vacation rentals and hotel demand in Austin, Texas. It compares identical stay dates for the 2024 and 2025 Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends, and excludes group and corporate hotel nights.
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Press contact
Amy Deverson, Key Data
Amy.deverson@keydatadashboard.com
About Key Data
Key Data is the leading performance analytics and benchmarking platform for the short-term rental industry. Trusted by property managers, owners, investors, and destination organizations worldwide, Key Data delivers the most accurate, real-time insights available – sourced directly from reservations across 500+ global markets. The platform uniquely combines direct PMS data with OTA data, offering unmatched visibility into portfolio and market performance. With 45+ forward-looking KPIs, intuitive dashboards, and daily updates, Key Data empowers users to make smarter pricing, marketing, and growth decisions. Key Data is the exclusive data partner of the Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA). Learn more at keydatadashboard.com.
