Hotels across the island have enjoyed a booming summer as visitor numbers trend upwards.

Several hoteliers have been managing near-full houses on most days since the start of June. They put the growth down to everything from wanderlust to good marketing.

Many bookings have been last-minute, suggesting many trips have been spur of the moment decisions.

Kaven Gibbons, the sales manager for the St Regis Resort in St George’s, said the hotel had seen “a strong increase of bookings” between June and July.

He added that, while he could not give exact numbers, the hotel had been almost fully booked every day since June 23.

Mr Gibbons said: “We had a few days where we weren’t as high — maybe we were at about 85 per cent — but for the majority of the days we’ve had a full house all summer.”

He added: “I wouldn’t necessarily point out any particular demographic but for the majority of tourists that we’re seeing come to Bermuda, it’s their first time.

“This is really, really good, because that means maybe they may come back.”

St Regis Resort has about 102 rooms.

Mr Gibbons said that stays lasted between two days and a week for most travellers, with tourists from the US more likely to stay for less time, while visitors from Britain stayed longer.

He added there had been a trend of people booking last-minute instead of booking in advanced, which he said wasn’t “too much of a problem” as a luxury hotel.

Mr Gibbons said that St Regis had seen “tremendous growth” over the past two years.

He said that the hotel benefited from advertising from the hotel’s parent company, Marriott International, which connected customers around the world.

Mr Gibbons said that Bermuda was also comfortably close to the East Coast of North America, making it accessible and attractive to visitors.

He added: “A big game-changer is BermudAir because of the airlift. I can see that being an increase as well.”

With the Cup Match holiday coming up, Mr Gibbons expects to see plenty of local and overseas visitors.

He said that St Regis did not host anything during the long weekend but would offer late-night activities to accommodate those coming to see the games at St George’s Cricket Club.

David Dodwell Jr, the general manager of The Reefs in Southampton said business had been steady but “very busy”.

He explained the 50-room hotel had enjoyed more than 90 per cent occupancy since June — a number comparable to last year.

Mr Dodwell added that bookings had been growing year after year since the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said: “I think as people came out of Covid-19 where they weren’t travelling as much, travel’s been more and more back on the map.

“As the pandemic tapered off, people really felt like they needed to make up for lost trips.”

He added: “I wouldn’t say this summer is busier than last summer but that’s because last summer was very busy too.

“As a small property, we’re a little bit limited for capacity.”

Mr Dodwell said that the hotel's guests were a mix of repeat bookings “well in advance” and visitors booking rooms shortly before they arrived.

He added that many ran the risk of missing out and that they had turned down some requests because they were full.

However, he said it was part of a growing trend of late bookings.

Mr Dodwell explained: “The pattern over the last five to ten years has trended to a ‘closer to arrival date’ booking than in previous years.

“I think that’s just part travel nature now — you can look up specials and destinations last minute and see what’s available.”

He added: “One of the great things about Bermuda is that we get more and more exposure, particularly the North East and East Coast of the US and Canada.

“People realise they can make a last-minute decision and take a less than two-hour flight to Bermuda for the weekend or a few days.

“I think that, as we continue to promote Bermuda as a brand, more and more people realise the ease of coming here.”

The Bermuda Tourism Authority said there had been “encouraging growth” in visitor numbers this year although its midyear tourism report would not be released until mid-August.

A BTA spokeswoman said: “We’ve seen an incremental uptick in air arrivals, hotel occupancy and vacation rental bookings compared to the same period in 2024.

“We’ve also observed a noticeable trend of shorter booking windows, with many travellers making last-minute decisions — a shift from past travel patterns.

“Marketing efforts in Canada were a key focus for us in Q1 and Q2, and this, along with stronger airlift and a return in consumer confidence, may be contributing to the positive trend we’re seeing.

“We’ll be able to share deeper insights when the midyear report is released, but in the meantime, we’re encouraged by the current momentum.”