How Badly is Trump’s Presidential Campaign Killing Trump Hotels?

Pricenomics highlighted hotel booking data from Hipmunk.

Hipmunk’s overall hotel bookings are up year-over-year, while bookings at Trump hotel properties are down. In the first quarter of 2015, Trump Hotels represented 1.7% of bookings on Hipmunk, and that was down to 0.7% in the first quarter of 2016.

Here’s the change to several Trump Hotels’ share of bookings at Hipmunk from the first quarter 2015 to the first quarter 2016:

People and conferences really are booking away from Trump Hotels. Last summer I was supposed to speak at a conference at Trump Soho, but it was moved last minute to another hotel. There was no upside to the sponsoring company to be associated with the Trump brand and there was downside risk — enough to eat last minute cancellation penalties.

This is more data behind reports that Donald Trump’s employees and family are concerned what his candidacy is doing to the hotel business.

We can learn a lot about the candidacy, though, from Trump’s travel businesses.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. All I can say is: good. Let our disapproval of his candidacy hit him where it really hurts.

    Plus: his fingers are far too small to fully grasp the sad situation of his own doing <– a finger joke!

  2. The last time I commented about Trump I was attacked by some right wing extremist bigot and told to keep sucking Bernie’s dick. Typical really, and I don’t care.

    Here’s my opinion again…. Donald Trump is not only the biggest embarrassment to the United States ever, he is also the biggest danger to us here and the world at large.

    We should not underestimate the possibility of a bigoted, under-educated, ignorant narcissist of becoming the most powerful human on the planet.

    People seem to find it funny and fascinating. He is a divisive, violent, xenophobic megalomaniac, the likes we haven’t seen since Hitler.

    He makes some African dictators of old look like Santa Claus. I hope the US wakes up soon and sends him to where he truly belongs…in jail, NOT the White House.

  3. Leaving politics apart, two years ago I spent 5 days at the Trump Waikiki in Honolulu and it was by far the best customer service and hotel experience I ever had in a hotel. Simply amazing.

  4. More anti-Trump click bait. You libs are desperate. The “data” demonstrates absolutely nothing at all about bookings at Trump hotels. Pathetic.

  5. Great news and @ Andy’s comment is spot on. However, Trump is so absolutely toxic on all fronts that the only thing that can give him a shot at prevailing against Hillary is what he has already had so far, which might even have propelled him to the GOP nomination: a mainstream media with which he has formed a dangerously symbiotic relationship. He gets nonstop media coverage because it increases “traffic” and fattens corporate media’s bottom line, while at the same time it allows Trump to suck up so much oxygen everywhere that his competitors simply wither away.

    It would be another matter altogether if the nonstop coverage that Trump gets were substantive, like trying to get him to reconcile his legions of contradictory policy statements, or grilling him on his xenophobia, misogyny, racism or obvious lack of qualification for the office he is seeking. Instead, whenever Trump appears in the media, he is dictating what gets talked about and reported, or, sometimes, even how it is reported!!!

    If Trump is inaugurated 45th POTUS, it will be because a complicit media failed to expose him for what he is: the least qualified and most unfit candidate ever to seek the US presidency. My sense is that people will wake up on election day and realize that a vote for Trump would be vote for the destruction of America, and they’ll hand him one of the worst general election defeats ever…

  6. The Trump Waikiki is not owned by Trump but only managed by his hotel management company, which is run (very well) by his daughter. The units are individually-owned condos and, despite the controversy, continue to do well. As for Trump being “absolutely toxic on all fronts,” I’m sure the millions who voted for him would disagree. That said, political posts thinly disguised as travel news really do add unnecessary tension to an otherwise useful blog.

  7. Disappointed you’re using your respected travel blog to promote your politics.
    There are more appropriate venues you should use for that purpose.
    Watering down your content’s utility is making your blog less relevant.
    But if you want to continue your pretense of being a non-partisan political journalist, then offer some semblance of balance…why not also tell us how Hillary’s brand is so damaged folks are avoiding her like the plague http://usuncut.com/news/how-tonights-bernie-sanders-rally-compared-to-hillary-clintons/

  8. Not sure what this has to do with our “hobby”. Problem with getting political is you piss off half your customers no matter what side you take.

  9. @ Gary — Sad to see you censoring comments…..must have gotten really juicy since I posted a couple of hours ago… 🙂

  10. Show of hands: how many of you actually read the “article” at the link?

    Ok, how many of you read it and believed that it meant occupancy at the Trump Las Vegas had fallen from 100% occupancy to 29% occupancy since Donald Trump started his presidential run? None of you? Good, then you aren’t as stupid as Gary and his minions think you are.

    Wonder why people don’t believe a word that Gary writes anymore? Well, the headline of this page is a good example.

  11. @JetAway sez: “As for Trump being “absolutely toxic on all fronts,” I’m sure the millions who voted for him would disagree.” Sure they would disagree because by definition they are his supporters because they agree with his toxic views. That does not mean that they are views that we would like to adopt in America. I am sure that the millions who supported the Fuhrer (99%) disagreed until the end, and even then, that he was evil incarnate…

  12. Trump’s campaign response (in ALL CAPS ofcourse so his supporters will be able to read it):

    TRUMP HOTELS ARE A HUUUUGE SUCCESS (LIKE MR.TRUMP). WHEN TRUMP IS ELECTED POINTS WILL NEVER EXPIRE AGAIN! (AND WE’LL GET MEXICO TO PAY FOR IT!). HE’LL PUT IVANKA INCHARGE OF MAKING EVERY DECENT WHITE PERSON GET’S AN UPGRADE AND OMAROSA WILL BE INCHARGE OF….OH WAIT SHE’S BLACK….NEVER MIND.
    I HAVE SPOKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    *Don’t American’s realize what an embarassment to the world this whole Trump thing is?!?! and it’s down right dangerous.

  13. Here’s a data point. Was working with a non-profit who has an annual charity gala and golf tournament. The Trump property was VERY generous in terms and pricing. So much so, a 5 year contract was signed. The Trump properties are struggling and are very much willing to work with customers to bring in any kind of $.

  14. Sad thing is, I think many people are ignorant, and will cancel their booking at Trump Las Vegas, only to rebook at Venetian or Palazzo. Still feeding the same mouth……

  15. @Larry I do not think of readers as customers, I write what interests me broadly conceived, that’s how it has been since I started the blog in May 2002. And I’m thrilled when folks read it. But unlike most sites, blogs, what have you the writing isn’t geared towards giving people what they want, it’s sharing my thoughts, which are open for all to see.

  16. I recently spent 8 nights in a $1400/night pool suite at Halekulani on Waikiki Beach. I didn’t even consider the nearby Trump hotel. If it had a different name I would have. I will never set foot on, nor give one cent to, any property with his name on it. I’m happy to know I’m not alone.

  17. First the original article is suspect. Does Hipmunk talk about relative bookings involving other hotels for any reason? I personally have never booked a single night using Hipmunk. We have no idea if that website books alot of Trump rooms or what the volume was, or represents. The Hipmunk stats try to give the impression that some of the hotels lot 70-90% of their business. Guess what guys, there are many people that want to stay in a hotel who will not care if Trumps name is on the hotel even if they dont like him. Some people here think they are so important to state how they will never set foot in a Trump hotel. Self important. But Clueless as well. What about a person who does support Trump? Might they go out of their to stay there? It can go both ways. Were there so called Boycotts of Chick Fila a few yrs ago. How did that go? And I once stayed in the Las Vegas Trump property. I hated it for a few reasons.

  18. @ Gary — Sorry, I commented on wrong post. I thought you had delated a bunch of comments, including some of yours.

    I meant to post the following here :

    I still cannot fathom how anyone with an education would support Donald Trump. His success shows how stupid Americans are. If he gets elected, it will be an embarrassment again (just like when GW Moron was president) to be am American travelling abroad.

  19. @Gene – oh good — I went through not just my pending queue but the folder of pretty exclusively all spam [i get thousands a day] and couldn’t find any real comments trapped there.

  20. Since most of the miles and points collectors, do not use websites like Hotwire.com. They don’t realize that for years, Trump hotels are available, at huge discounts on these websites. It isn’t a relatively new thing. Trump hotels have always had a challenge for filling rooms, for a variety of reasons. I have been told that Trump has few corporate contracts and the Trump Card has no other uses other staying more at a Trump property. Not really good for miles and points collectors. Besides if he was as rich as he says he is, why didn’t he buy another chain to have more hotels to offer, etc.?

  21. Anyone wanna bet all these chumps whining about Trump would stay at his hotels if the only option were substandard competitors ala the way a lot of gays fly ME3 airlines and connect in/visit ME countries because the USA, oh the horror, options are the substandard Big 3?

  22. And with this I’ve I subscribed from this newsletter. How disappointing… I thought this was for cheap travel. If you want to be a liberal reporter go work for CNN. Sad.

  23. @dave.
    You may wish to revisit your post deary! Quite what ones sexual orientation had to do with the blog / comments I can’t figure out!

  24. @Dennis — Your post is totally misguided. I am card-carrying liberal academic and can assure you that @Gary Left is no liberal. So, we’re sorry to see you go for the wrong reason. Just make sure the cyber-door does not hit you on your way out.

    I suspect that the real reason you got ticked off is that you are a Trump supporter, to which I can only say I feel sorry for you.

    G’day!

  25. Perhaps the follow-up post to this should be about the record breaking hotel bookings and tourism in the socialist paradise of Venezuela.

    Hate Mr. Trump all you like, but he is trying to prevent us from going down that road…

  26. Donald Trump would be an unmitigated disaster for not only this country, but the entire world. He is America’s Putin, or Berlusconi, or Chavez or Castro. He’s a thin-skinned bully who can give it but can’t take it. He’s America’s version of the “larger-than-life” personality that supporters cheer on in spite of the fact they’ve been exposed as a frauds over and over again. Our country has been pretty good about avoiding these demagogues who run on a populist message until now. It’s rare when you have high-ranking members on either side of the political spectrum agree on the incompetence of a candidate.

    Worst still among his supporters, any criticism and you are seemingly immediately labeled and swiftly ostracized. Criticize him from the left? You’re a communist, a ‘lib’, a socialist, a BLM racist. Criticize him from the right? You are a RINO, a ‘career politician’, a part of the Washington cartel, a ‘failed publication’ that is going out of business (National Review, WSJ, etc).

    Everything he does is right and should not be questioned, any criticism means an act of subversion.

  27. Hate to bust your bubble JJ, but seems to me and to everybody else for that matter that Don can “take whatever punch” you’ve been delving out pretty well.

    Seriously Abrams wannabe, you go on an anonymous media, which I’m all for by the way.
    People should be entitled to speak their minds without censorship.

    And say stuff about a guy whose had more businesses that failed, (won’t mention the ones that succeeded) than your own trips out of momma’s basement and the mud you have available to sling is,

    ” He can dish it out but can’t take it? ”

    Seems to me that he may just symbolize an entire nation of folks who have “taken” just about enough. Problem is for some folks they may have to feel what’s it like to have it dished out in a manner beyond their zone of control.

    That’s why your sorry butts are wasting time throwing stuff outside arenas.

  28. Apologize for the typo. Obviously whose is meant to read who’s or who has.

    The Yogi Kudu was not present for this weeks taping and Fran Tarkenton usually catches this sort of thing. Have a great week wherever in the world God may find you.

    One note. The Noodle bar photo with AB was indeed awesome. Ah the trials of a lame duck celeb. He had a good run.

    Love you. Win or Lose.

    John Davidson
    That’s Incredible.

  29. By the way, where the heck is Renee Zellwegger? Is she like building her own private Disney World in Cuba made up of people with an outlook on life formed exclusively by a fusion of Miami hip hop, J Lo , the pope on a rope, and a smelly beard polluted by too many Cigars?

  30. I come to these blogs to read about travel. I have no desire to hear about trump. Its bad the amount of media he gets now.

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