World Cup fuels Broward's summer business and hotel boom
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We will never forget the Tartan Army. Photo: JC Ruiz/PA Images via Getty Images
The World Cup is over, but South Florida will never forget it.
Why it mattered: The Miami matches brought fans from all over the world, filling Broward County hotels, restaurants and bars during what's typically the slowest time of year.
- Thousands of Colombian fans took over downtown Fort Lauderdale to greet their players at The Dalmar hotel. The Tartan Army were all over town wearing their kilts in the 90-degree heat.
What they're saying: John Myers, general manager of The Club at Pier Sixty-Six, told Axios the hotel saw "a massive uptick" in activity, with tons of international travelers coming in for the games or just the festivities.
- "Our occupancy in the hotel last June compared to this June, we're up probably 500%," he added.
How they did it: With match tickets being too expensive for most, local bars brought the party atmosphere and game energy, even miles away from Hard Rock Stadium.
- For Mickey Byrne's in Hollywood, that meant hosting watch parties with performances by Scottish pipe bands and singers.
- The City of Hollywood's watch party on June 27 brought more than 30,000 soccer fans to downtown, a major boost for neighboring businesses.
- "It's been spectacular for business," Mark Rowe, owner of Mickey Byrne's, told Axios. "Summer is always terrible, and so we're very, very happy and grateful to have that extra business.
At Pier Sixty-Six, Myers said, the energy would spill into the coffee shop and lounge area, spaces that are typically quiet during summer afternoons and evenings.
- "That's been really fun to see," he said.
The big picture: After a slow start, Broward County hotel occupancy rates picked up for the Brazil-Scotland, Portugal-Colombia and Argentina-Cape Verde matches, according to CoStar data provided by Visit Lauderdale.
Case in point: For the Portugal-Colombia match at Hard Rock Stadium on June 27, Broward hotels' occupancy climbed 9.7% from the same date in 2025, while hotel revenue per available room rose nearly 30%, per the data.
Meanwhile, a Bank of America analysis showed Miami was among the leading host cities in consumer spending, up more than 6%.
What we're watching: The tournament's full economic impact won't be known for some time.
- But last month, Fort Lauderdale's Downtown Development Authority estimated that the World Cup could generate an impact of up to $175 million.