Spring Recap: Challenging Market, Strategic Adjustments
As Bill noted in his recent article, Spring 2025 has been a tough season across Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and the greater Southeast. The later Easter holiday delayed booking activity, and as a result, March struggled to gain the momentum we’ve seen in previous years.
To respond, our team has been working aggressively to capture market share through competitive pricing and a focused effort on shorter, last-minute bookings. While April occupancy is showing signs of improvement compared to 2024, we expect overall spring performance to finish below last year, when an earlier Easter gave March a significant boost.
Summer Trends: Strong Outlook, Strategic Pricing
As we move into May, we’re continuing to take a market share approach, offering attractive early season rates to build occupancy.
One key event driving early demand is the rebranded Sand in My Boots Festival (formerly Hangout Festival). Properties in Gulf Shores and West Orange Beach are already seeing strong bookings for that weekend, and we expect Memorial Day to kick off a strong summer season.
From mid-May through early August, we’re seeing encouraging indicators for high occupancy and strong rates. While some competitors have begun cutting peak summer pricing, we remain focused on maximizing your revenue without compromising rate integrity. Current sales velocity is high, and at great rates.
Fall Strategy: Early Planning for Continued Success
It’s never too early to begin looking at early fall trends. Once we move past the second weekend of August, we’ll shift our focus toward demand for August, September, and October, beyond just the key dates like Labor Day and Fall Break in early October.
We expect that the keys to a successful Fall 2025 will mirror those that helped us outperform the market in previous years:
Competitive rates
Strong marketing focused on the “perfect season”
Flexible minimum stays, especially during weekdays