London’s hotel sector saw a sharp uptick in September, with average daily rates climbing to £209.97 — a 5.4% rise year-on-year. While leisure demand played a role, it was the convergence of high-profile concerts and a major defence industry exhibition that drove the spike, underscoring the city’s dual appeal for both corporate and cultural travellers.
The DSEI defence show, held at ExCeL London, drew international delegations and exhibitors, pushing rates to their peak on opening night. Meanwhile, headline performances by Beyonce, Oasis, Lewis Capaldi, and Lady Gaga filled venues and hotel lobbies alike, creating a perfect storm of demand across segments.
Occupancy reached 86.5%, up 3.3 percentage points from the previous year, while revenue per available room (RevPAR) jumped, it’s a strong signal that London remains a resilient hub for blended business-leisure travel.
Elsewhere in Europe: Copenhagen’s Conference Boom
While Milan leaned on fashion and Formula 1, Copenhagen quietly posted its own September surge, driven by a packed calendar of sustainability and tech summits. The city hosted the World Water Congress and Nordic Edge Expo, attracting thousands of delegates and pushing ADRs up by 12% compared to the previous year. Hotels near Bella Centre and Ørestad reported near-full occupancy, with corporate bookings outpacing leisure for the first time since early 2020.
For travel managers and event planners, these figures reinforce the importance of early booking and flexible inventory strategies — especially in cities where cultural and corporate calendars increasingly overlap.