London, UK – Forward bookings at UK hotels have increased 6% year-on-year for the Summer Bank Holiday on 25 August and accompanying long weekend, according to new data from SiteMinder, the world’s leading hotel distribution and revenue platform.
Average daily room rates (ADR) have also increased 2.5% UK wide, to £239.20 this year compared to £233.37 during the same period last year. Booking lead times have also increased by 8.19%, to 130.1 days, compared with 120.3 days for 2024.
Glasgow hotels are showing the UK’s strongest booking and ADR growth, with booking volumes up 22.7%, and ADR increasing by 10.3% to £201.78, from £182.88 last year. Among major English cities, London leads in terms of bookings growth, with these increasing 14.5%, and ADR up by 6.38% to £251.85, from £236.74 in 2024.
Edinburgh is also enjoying a significant booking increase of 10.7%, and remains the UK’s most expensive major city during the period, with a modest 1.74% growth in ADR to £412.16.
Some UK locations present a nuanced image. Brighton is experiencing a 6.77% increase in ADR to £270.10, compared to £252.94 last year, despite a 13.5% drop in bookings. Conversely, Liverpool and Manchester are seeing strong booking activity, increasing 15.6% and 7.3% respectively, yet both cities have seen ADR decrease, by 3.96% to £167.34 in Liverpool, and by 12.36% to £197.41 in Manchester.
SiteMinder’s data shows that while almost 65% of forward bookings for the Summer Bank Holiday long weekend have come from abroad–as was the case for the same period in 2024–, domestic travellers continue to account for slightly more than 35% of current bookings. The good news for UK hotels is that 69% of the forward bookings made by UK consumers for this period were for UK properties. This compares to 31% for those who chose to travel abroad.
Our data reflect the strength of the travel demand both in the UK as well as globally, despite uncertainty. Glasgow’s impressive rise demonstrates its continuing emergence as a favorite for both domestic and foreign visitors, while London is also a strong performer. James Bishop, SiteMinder Vice President of Ecosystem and Strategic Partnerships
Adds Bishop Hoteliers in the UK continue to face challenges despite positive data. They are trying to overcome these challenges with varying levels of success. Edinburgh’s bookings growth is strong and the ADR remains stable, indicating that intelligent pricing strategies are being used to reduce seasonality when Festival season ends. However, we can see in other places where ADRs can drop despite bookings growing. It is important to remember that, while low prices can be attractive and increase bookings, they may limit revenue potential without a value-added component.
Concludes Bishop: Hoteliers are experiencing a return to predictability after many years of uncertainty. Hoteliers can now use dynamic pricing and intelligent distribution strategies to maximize market value.
All figures are based on data from SiteMinder’s platform for the period 20–26 August 2025, as measured on 28 July 2025.
About SiteMinder
SiteMinder LimitedASX:SDRSiteMinder is the leading global hotel distribution platform. Little Hotelier is a hotel management system that simplifies the lives of small accommodations providers. The headquarters of the global company are in Sydney. It has offices in Bangalore Bangkok Berlin Dallas Galway London Mexico City Manila. SiteMinder, with its largest ecosystem of partners in the global hospitality industry, generates over 125 million bookings worth US$50 billion for its customers every year. For more information visit siteminder.com.
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