74% of STR Experience Bookings Occur Before Check-In, Localbird Data Finds
Digital concierge platform Localbird released its State of STR Experiences 2026 report, analyzing 7,500+ bookings across the US, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Data shows 74% of experience bookings occur before check-in. In the premium market ($500+/night), concierge engagement is 44%, conversion 18%, and average spend per stay $1,000. In-property services yield 27% higher average order value than external tours, with private chefs leading at $464 per booking. The report emphasizes optimizing pre-arrival communication and booking engines to capture this critical revenue window.
Impact and considerations
The report exposes a structural flaw in relying on post-check-in upselling, highlighting the 7-14 day pre-arrival window as peak buying intent. Hotels should integrate PMS and CDP to drive dynamic upsells for high-margin in-property services.
Key points
- 74% of experience bookings occur before check-in, so traditional front-desk upselling misses most non-room budget.
- Premium market ($500+/night) has 44% concierge engagement, 18% conversion, and $1,000 average spend per stay.
- In-property services yield 27% higher AOV than external tours; private chefs lead at $464 per booking.
- Families make up 31% of engagement; group travel (5+ adults) accounts for 24%.
Sources and time
- Primary source
- Hospitality Technology
- Other sources
- 0
- First source publication
- 26 Aug 2026, 05:07
- Page published
- 26 Aug 2026, 01:14
- Last updated
- 26 Aug 2026, 05:07
- Original links
- Hospitality Technology：74% of STR Experience Bookings Occur Before Check-In, Localbird Data Finds (opens in a new tab)Primary source · en · Published 26 Aug 2026, 05:07