Pride, profits, and parades: 3 ways for hotels to boost occupancy during the National Puerto Rican Day Parade

Published on May 31, 2023
Valerie Williams
Content Marketing Manager

The National Puerto Rican Day Celebration means a boost in spending for NYC

Taking over a stretch of Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue all day on Sunday June 11, The National Puerto Rican Day Parade honors the 3M+ people of Puerto Rican birth or heritage living in the US. Known as the nation's largest display of cultural pride, this recurring event takes place each year on the second Sunday in June.

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The event is expecting a massive crowd including community leaders, celebrities, artists, and educators, all that will make up around 1,500,000 attendees. The parade this year is driving a whopping estimated $136,649,000 in spending for local hotels, transportation providers, and restaurants that day:

Accommodation: $72,704,000

Transportation: $13,770,000

Restaurants: $50,175,000

Parades and other community events that draw in millions of attendees are clear opportunities for local hotels to maximize profits, but it takes advance notice of impactful events and the right demand planning. Optimizing your booking platform, ensuring enough staff are scheduled to be on site to assist guests, and dynamic and optimized pricing are all key actions to take when there’s an anticipated surge in demand. But what else can hotels do to boost occupancy rates, brand visibility, and guest satisfaction? Below are three ways for Manhattan accommodation providers to take advantage of the increased spending expected from the Puerto Rican Day Parade:

1. Host a related event at your hotel

Join forces with event organizers to throw an exclusive pre-parade celebration at your hotel. Consider this: a colorful gathering brimming with Puerto Rican flair, where community leaders, celebrities, and your distinguished guests gather for a memorable feast. Embrace the parade's theme and position your company as the go-to spot for Puerto Rican pride.

2. Use event-based marketing

Use digital marketing channels to highlight your hotel's prime location along the parade route. Let the world know that your establishment offers not only luxurious accommodations but also a front-row seat to all the parade action. Boost bookings by using event-specific coupon codes that attract tourists and parade-goers to choose your hotel over the competition.

3. Adjust operating hours

Extend the operating hours of your facilities to best accommodate the influx of guests leading up to and during the parade. This can include keeping the front desk staffed for longer, offering 24/7 room service for the day, or extending the open hours of amenities such as on-site spas, gyms, pools, bars and restaurants to keep the party going.

Track demand-driving events in New York and worldwide

New York City is a hotbed of massive parades and other community events all year round – but this represents just one location, and one event category. In June 2023, there are 1723 events taking place in Manhattan with 22 of them expecting 5,000+ attendees, including:

  • SummerStage on Saturday 6/3: New York City’s largest free outdoor performing arts festival, bringing nearly 100 free and benefit shows to Central Park and 17 neighborhood parks throughout the five boroughs.

  • 116th Street Festival on Sunday 6/11: Started in 1985 as ‘Abrazo Fraternal’, this famous festival is bursting with hispanic music, food, and more across 20 blocks.

  • Museum Mile Festival on Tuesday 6/13: Part of Festival of New York, a citywide celebration featuring 200+ organizations with events from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Museum Mile festival boasts a variety of popular New York string quartets and jazz ensembles, and free admission to some of the world’s finest art collections.

Keep your team informed of impactful events within close proximity to your hotels with demand insights for each of your hotel locations. Access location-based event data to make the most of parades and other event driving booking demand for your rooms.