SiteMinder: Madrid ADR up 70% for the Formula 1 weekend, with lead times out to 130 days

The useful part of this data is not the headline rate rise. It is the gap between rate and volume: Madrid hotels took 70% more per night on 3.5% more room nights, which is what pricing into a supply-constrained event weekend looks like when it works.

Formula 1 returns to Madrid this weekend for the first time since 1981, when the city last hosted a Grand Prix at the Jarama circuit. SiteMinder compared stays from 10 to 13 September 2026 against the same weekend in 2025 across its channel manager data.

The numbers

• Average daily rate: €485, up from €286 — an increase of almost 70%.
• Room nights booked: up 3.5% year on year.
• Average length of stay: 2.15 nights, up 7.5% from two nights.
• Average booking lead time: 130 days, up 44.8% from 90 days.
• International bookings: up 19% as a share, compared with 2025.

The event covers three days of Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 practice and racing, with the main race on Sunday 13 September.

What it says about the demand

Modest volume growth alongside a 70% rate rise points to demand that is not so much larger as it is less price-sensitive — affluent travellers planning months out. The lead-time figure is the practical signal for operators: at 130 days, the pricing decisions that determined this weekend's results were made in early May.

"The return of Formula 1 to Madrid after 45 years is acting as a genuine catalyst for tourism demand in the capital," said Tamara Jiménez, SiteMinder's Country Manager for Spain. "Beyond the immediate impact on rates, we are seeing how major events continue to drive demand, bring purchasing decisions forward and create valuable opportunities for hotels."

SiteMinder Limited (ASX:SDR) reports processing more than 140 million reservations a year, worth over A$85 billion in revenue for its hotel customers.

Related: Amadeus data reported a 25% ADR rise for Madrid across September, covering both the Grand Prix and a Shakira residency — a wider window and a different panel than SiteMinder's event-weekend comparison.