San Francisco broke a record for hotel tax collections and revenue as result of the Bay Area hosting Super Bowl 50 last month. On Feb. 4-7, the city experienced a 190 percent increase in hotel tax revenue over the same period in 2015, according to San Francisco Travel.
“The people of San Francisco were the big winners in Super Bowl 50,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of San Francisco Travel. “Our hotels were nearly filled with visitors spending not only on hotel rooms but restaurants, transportation, shopping, entertainment and more. It’s estimated that 75 percent of all visitor spending takes place outside of hotels.”
The Super Bowl took place Feb. 7 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. On Feb. 4-7 in San Francisco, hotel tax generated $8.2 million. The projection represents only hotel tax revenues; it does not include vacation rentals or increases to sales tax, business tax or other revenues to the private and public sector, which won’t be released until June.
On Feb. 6, the day before the Super Bowl, San Francisco hotels were at 90.7 percent occupancy. One Feb. 5, 6 and 7, the city experienced the highest level of hotel revenue on record. San Francisco Travel relied on data supplied by analytics specialist STR to gain insights about the impact of the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl City Set the Stage
Downtown, across from the Ferry Building and San Francisco Bay, the eight-block Super Bowl City was the center of the pre-party celebration. Throngs of people braved lines to get through intense security and enter the free, fenced-off area, where they were rewarded with food, technology, and free concerts and entertainment on small and large stages.
Headliners for free concerts featured local rock star Chris Isaak, R&B superstar Alicia Keys, One Republic and The Band Perry. Revelers also were treated to jazz by Center Teen Jazz Orchestra and Marcus Shelby Trio, dancing by Ballet Folklorico Costa de Oro and music by Oakland Interfaith Gospel—to name a few acts on the main stages.
“Our hotels provided a perfect setting for the world to see as fans, media, and Super Bowl attendees enjoyed the authentic hospitality that make San Francisco a great place to visit,” said Kevin Carroll, executive director of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. “Super Bowl 50’s success holds great promise for San Francisco to host the game again.”
Moscone Center was the site of NFL Experience. San Francisco’s largest convention venue featured interactive games, all things NFL and Super Bowl, and food and beverages. Moscone is undergoing a $500 million expansion. When the project is complete in 2018, it will feature more than 500,000 sq. ft. of contiguous space for exhibitions, a new 50,000-square-foot ballroom and a new 20,000-square-foot terrace.
