It’s safe to say coronation fever has expanded from the U.K. to the States. So much so, in fact, that Americans heading across the pond for King Charles III’s crowning on May 6 are set to outspend the Brits at London’s poshest hotels.
Travelers from the U.S. will account for 32 percent of all booking revenue in the city’s four- and five-star hotels during the upcoming celebrations, according to research conducted by Allora.ai that was published by Bloomberg. Americans ordinarily make up 24 percent of revenue and domestic travelers 34 percent, according to the AI hotel-booking platform.
“The fact that the coronation has really caught the imagination of visitors from the U.S. is a real added bonus for London hoteliers, as they are far more likely to make use of the hotel’s facilities, such as the restaurant or spa,” Michael De Jongh, chief commercial officer of Allora.ai, told the publication. “U.S. guests spend a good deal more than domestic ones.”
Hotels in the U.K.’s capital are certainly pulling out all the stops with lavish coronation-themed packages and extras. In upscale Knightsbridge, for instance, the Lanesborough hotel will be serving up a glitzy King’s Coronation cocktail with a gold leaf garnish. Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square is peddling a Live Like A Royal package that includes a special ritual at the hotel’s spa and a fancy afternoon tea, while the Beaumont in Mayfair will provide you with a celebratory amenity pack on arrival. (You can check out Robb Report’s full traveler’s guide to the coronation here.)
U.S. travelers were crossing the Atlantic well before all the royal hoopla, of course. Many Americans flocked to England last year as the pound fell to an all-time low against the dollar. Stateside folk have been instrumental in helping the U.K.’s tourism industry recover, in fact. Americans shelled out $5.2 billion in the country in 2019, and spending so far this year is already up 40 percent, according to VisitBritain. The Brits have quite a few reasons to celebrate in 2023, then.
