San Diego Comic-Con opens this morning, and for the 100,000+ attendees flying in over the next four days, finding housing is a full-contact sport. For STR hosts inside a 15-minute drive of the convention center, this is the single highest-ADR window of the calendar year.
What Comic-Con week actually looks like in STR data
Our managed San Diego inventory typically sees:
- ADR 3.5–5× the summer-average rate during Thursday-Sunday
- 100% occupancy across every listing that priced intelligently
- Average stay length 4.2 nights (Wed arrival through Sunday departure is the most common)
- Booking lead times averaging 6 months — most Comic-Con attendees locked housing in January
What to do if you still have open inventory this week
Practical steps for hosts with last-minute availability:
- Raise your rate, don't lower it. Comic-Con attendees booking in the final week are studio execs, cosplay pros with budgets, and last-minute work travelers — the least price-sensitive cohort.
- Front-load the listing with convention-relevant details. "12-minute drive to convention center" as the first line. Parking info in the description. Convention badge pickup tips in the welcome doc.
- Offer early check-in / late check-out. Most badge pickups happen before the official 4pm check-in window. A 1pm early check-in on Wednesday is the #1 thing we get asked for during this week.
- Prepare for gear. Cosplay crews travel with large costumes, props, and sometimes small production setups. Make sure your listing has storage space, good lighting for costume touch-ups, and iron-ready surfaces.
The Gaslamp tax
Properties in Gaslamp, East Village, and Little Italy see the highest premiums but also the highest risk — these are the zip codes most likely to trigger noise complaints and where SD's STR enforcement is most active. If you're operating in these zones, this is the week your noise monitoring has to be dialed in.
For next year
Comic-Con 2026 will open July 23. If you want premium rates, you need to:
- List inventory on Airbnb and direct-booking by October 2025
- Target media and agency bookers through direct outreach
- Consider a 3-night minimum from Wednesday through Sunday
- Stock convention-specific amenities (good iron, full-length mirror in each room, ample hanging space)
