Hotel reservations in Mexico City for the 2026 FIFA World Cup stand at 30 percent, with expectations of full occupancy for the opening match and up to 85 percent on game days. Hotel industry experts note surging demand and rates that have skyrocketed up to 1,000 percent. Tourist projections, however, have fallen short of initial estimates.
With fewer than 100 days until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hotel reservations in Mexico City (CDMX) have reached 30 percent. The Mexico City Hotel Association expects full occupancy for the opening on June 11 and 85 percent during match days.
Alberto Albarrán, the association's general director, explained that reservations rose from 5 to 10 percent after the December 5 draw, to 20 percent after the second draw, and now stand at 30 percent as tickets are released. He noted that foreign tourists book months in advance, while Mexicans wait until the last minute. “It is as we had foreseen; we have always said that the hotel supply is sufficient to meet demand,” he said.
Santiago Elijovich, vice president of strategy at Despegar, stated that hotel searches and demand are surging in host cities. In Mexico, rates for the opening and other matches have increased up to 1,000 percent.
Grupo Hotelero Santa Fe, operating 24 hotels with 5,995 rooms, reported full reservations with elevated rates in host cities, though it views the overall impact as exaggerated. CEO Francisco Medina Elizalde highlighted the company's privileged position in the three host cities.
Enrique Calderón of Posadas estimated an additional 3 percent growth in hotel revenues, with plans to open up to 37 new hotels in 2026, investing between 15 billion and 26 billion pesos.
Luis Durán Luján, CEO of RLH Properties, called the World Cup a strategic platform to attract global investors.
Initially, 5.5 million tourists were projected for Mexico, but a Deloitte study estimates only 836,000, including 280,000 foreigners. Compared to other World Cups, such as Brazil (1 million foreigners) or Russia (nearly 3 million), Mexico will host the opening match but fewer games overall.
Antonio Cosío, president of the National Business Tourism Council, noted that the event could catalyze tourism promotion for 2027. Spending projections vary: Airbnb at $560 million, Deloitte at $2.1 billion, with $728 million on food and $614 million on lodging, 30 percent higher than the previous June-July period.
