- Green Bay is the smallest city ever to host the NFL Draft, scheduled for April 24–26, 2025.
- Hotel rates and occupancy are soaring, with many properties already sold out.
- Surrounding markets are seeing spillover demand and longer guest stays.
- Lambeau Field’s iconic status is drawing national interest and football tourism.
Draft Weekend Drives Hospitality Boom in Titletown
Green Bay, home of the Packers and fewer than 106,000 residents, will host the 2025 NFL Draft for the first time. The event runs from April 24–26, transforming the local hotel market, per CoStar.
The draft will take place outside Lambeau Field, drawing tens of thousands of fans to a city with just 5,000 hotel rooms. For comparison, Detroit had more than 11,000 rooms available when it hosted in 2024.
Hotel Demand Leaps Like a Lambeau Celebration
The Hotel Northland, part of the Autograph Collection, has already sold out for draft weekend. Becky Vealey, VP at Greenwood Hospitality, said the event allowed them to charge much higher rates than usual.
“In big cities like New York, existing high prices limit flexibility,” Vealey said. “But in Green Bay, we had room to increase rates.”
Vealey also noted stronger demand before the event, especially following Easter—a time hotels usually see fewer bookings.
The event’s location near Lambeau Field and Green Bay’s strong NFL ties are pulling in fans from around the country. “Green Bay is a football mecca,” said CoStar’s Colin Sherman. “It’s drawing people who want to enjoy the full weekend.”
Extended Stays, Elevated Spend
Unlike Packers games, which usually lead to one- or two-night stays, the draft is boosting bookings for three to four nights.
Hotels in nearby towns like Neenah are seeing the ripple effect. Joy Crowe, general manager at Doubletree Neenah, said demand started slow but picked up. Her team has already raised prices well above normal April levels.
Guests are also spending more. At Hotel Northland, Vealey said the on-site restaurant, Poke The Bear, will offer themed menus and live entertainment to attract both guests and locals.
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Lessons from Detroit and Kansas City
Recent draft hosts have seen similar hotel performance spikes. In 2024, Detroit’s hotel occupancy jumped nearly 20% on the first draft night. Rates rose 53.7%, and RevPAR surged 83.7%, according to CoStar.
Jacob Dondzila, GM of the Shinola Hotel in Detroit, said they doubled rates compared to the prior year. “The city’s energy matched the hotel demand,” he said.
However, demand dropped after the first night, which is when top draft picks are announced. This trend mirrored Kansas City’s experience in 2023, where rates and occupancy peaked early and then declined.
Why It Matters
Hosting the draft brings strong short-term gains to hotel markets. In a small city like Green Bay, with limited supply and massive interest, the impact will likely be even more pronounced.
With Lambeau Field as the backdrop and football culture ingrained in the local identity, the event is expected to bring significant attention and revenue to Titletown.
What’s Next
Green Bay and surrounding areas should stay busy through April 2025. The NFL Draft continues to prove its value as a powerful, short-term economic driver—especially for small host cities.
