Birmingham hotel bookings race ahead for European Athletics Championships: SiteMinder

New data from SiteMinder, the world's leading hotel commerce platform, shows that Birmingham hotels have secured 62.5% more room nights during the week of the European Athletics Championships, due to take place from 10 to 16 August, when compared to the same week last year.

This increase in total room nights reflects both a rise in bookings and longer stays in line with the week-long event, with the average length of stay set to jump from 1.38 nights last year to 1.67 nights this year.

Rates at Birmingham hotels have also moved with the demand, with the average daily rate for the week standing at £201.76 — up 60.1% on the £126.03 recorded for the equivalent week last year.

The anticipated influx of arrivals will not come as news to the city's hotels, with guests having booked their stays an average of 169.45 days prior, compared with 58.37 days last year.

SiteMinder's VP of ecosystem and strategic partnerships, James Bishop, says: "This is a great example of the enduring importance of major events for hotels. As Birmingham hoteliers are seeing, events like the European Athletics Championships not only drive increased bookings, but generate higher quality demand, with guests booking further ahead and staying longer.

"The takeaway for UK hoteliers is that a date in the calendar is only the starting point. It's the properties that can see how demand is building around that date, and respond as it does by adjusting rates, opening the right channels and tailoring packages, at speed, that will capture the most value."

SiteMinder's data compares forward bookings for 9 to 16 August 2026, processed through its hotel commerce platform, with the equivalent period in 2025. SiteMinder’s platform processes more than 135 million reservations each year.