NBA Finals 2025: How forward-looking search data reveals the winning playbook for hotels

It’s a fastbreak for hospitality markets in Indianapolis and Oklahoma City, but hotels must act immediately to secure a slam dunk as search interest for rooms soars.

As of June 11, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indianapolis Pacers are locked in a finely poised NBA Finals series, which has already delivered an instant-classic, buzzer-beater victory. 

However, local hospitality businesses must now beat their own buzzer. With the series guaranteed to go to at least five games, they have a critical opportunity to capitalize on the surge in demand.

A playoff run requires hotels to react quickly and decisively

When a local team makes a deep playoff run, it creates a unique and challenging opportunity for hospitality businesses.

Unlike tournaments with fixed schedules, the NBA post-season is dynamic. Teams face off in a best-of-seven series, where the first to four victories lifts the Larry O'Brien trophy, and the loser leaves with nothing. This means a series can end in as few as four games or extend to a full seven. Each round is followed by the next with only a few days' break, leaving little time for preparation.

This unpredictable scheduling requires accommodation providers to be incredibly agile, adjusting their pricing and strategy as the series unfolds.

Soaring hotel demand in two relatively small markets

The two teams vying for the 2025 Larry O'Brien Trophy are from what are known in the US as ‘small market’ cities, meaning they are not in the top tier for population and purchasing power. 

This means the NBA Finals can have a much greater economic impact on these cities than on larger hubs like Los Angeles, New York, or Dallas. In both cases, we have seen notable increases in search queries for these cities, indicating the interest that their teams' playoff runs are unlocking.

Since the playoffs began, search queries for hotels in both cities on Online Travel Agency (OTA) and metasearch sites have surged to their highest levels in two years.

In Oklahoma City, search volume from the start of the playoffs to mid-June 2025 is 45% higher than the average of the preceding 22 months. Interest peaked on April 27, the day after the Thunder swept the Memphis Grizzlies to clinch their semi-final berth, and has remained exceptionally high since.

Indianapolis has seen a similar, albeit slightly smaller, uplift. Hotel search volume there is up 29% on average during the playoff period, hitting a 24-month high just before the Finals began.

A closer look at daily search queries for Indianapolis at the time of writing reveals the demand developing in real time.

The data shows distinct peaks in search volume for the nights of Games 4 and 5, reaching levels far above the norm.

These are leading indicators that hotels need to pay attention to. In situations with short lead times, search data is often the first place to spot emerging demand.

Are local hotels missing a layup?

Hotels in Oklahoma City reported strong occupancy numbers to the local press on June 5, especially in the downtown area. It is clear that these events are major demand drivers for these smaller cities, which have limited inventory—downtown Oklahoma City has just 30 hotels.

Yet, when it comes to pricing, there appears to be a lag in decision-making and a cautious approach to changing market conditions.

Using data extracted on June 2 for the period of June 12-30, we can see that the average price for a hotel room in Indianapolis for Game 4 on June 13 had reached $179. At this point, the Pacers had won their conference final on June 1, guaranteeing Game 4 would be played in Indianapolis. 

However, hotels had made limited pricing moves, with the average rate up only 2% compared to 30 days prior. The $179 average price was equal to the highest price available for any other night in June, making it unremarkable.

While this data was captured only 24 hours after the game was confirmed, it highlights a potential missed opportunity. Given the surging search volumes and the high probability of a Finals appearance even before the win, hoteliers could have been more aggressive with their pricing.

Similarly, while rates during the weeks of Games 1 and 2 in Oklahoma City were relatively high - representing the highest prices in the city over the last five years - they were not as high as one might expect. 

This record was set by only a hair's breadth and only in nominal terms, despite the city also hosting the NCAA Women’s College World Series concurrently with the playoffs.

Use forward-looking search data to understand demand around events in your market

Fans are flocking to the playoff games, but hotel pricing appears to be behind the curve.

Demand can change week-to-week and even day-to-day with an event like the NBA Finals. It is a near perfect case study for why hotels need to adopt dynamic pricing, automation, and real-time data, particularly forward-looking demand indicators.

To avoid getting caught flat-footed by key events in your market, you can't rely on simply looking back at what has already happened. To truly make the most of these opportunities, you need a new playbook built on real-time, forward-looking insight.

The perfect formula for event strategy starts with forward-looking search data. This is your leading indicator, allowing you to see demand building before it fully materializes.

But seeing the opportunity is only half the battle. The next step is to layer pricing intelligence on top of that demand. This allows you to see how your competitors are adjusting and to position your own rates perfectly, turning insight into a concrete, revenue-winning strategy.

Data is your competitive advantage. Relying on historical performance is like coaching from last season's game tape while your competition is running a new play. 

Success hinges on spotting opportunities before your competitors do and having the right tools to act on them immediately.

With Market Insight's forward-looking demand signals and real-time pricing intelligence with Rate Insight you gain the court vision to stay ahead, adjust rates with confidence, and capture every opportunity.