The coasts of southern South Carolina and Georgia have historically enjoyed a moderate peak around the Thanksgiving holiday with adjusted paid occupancy rates between 25% and 45%. This year, an outstanding late-season performance for vacation rentals in this area will continue through the week of Thanksgiving.
Properties in Charleston County, SC (Charleston, Kiawah Island, Folly Island, and others); Beaufort County, SC (Hilton Head Island); Georgetown County, SC (Litchfield and DeBordieu); and Chatham County, GA (Savannah and Tybee Island) are pacing at a RevPAR $40 to $57 higher than Thanksgiving 2019. This is driven by higher adjusted paid occupancy rates, up 10-15%, and generally higher average daily rates. Despite higher occupancy rates, ADR is up only slightly for Charleston County and significantly lower for Georgetown County. Although we are continuing to monitor stay lengths because of changing renter behavior during the pandemic, average length of stay is only slightly higher than last year. The booking window in each area is shorter and rentals have seen a 10-15% pickup in occupancy over the last two weeks. Occupancy rates in Charleston, Beaufort, and Georgetown counties are already higher than the final Thanksgiving rates last year.
We hope everyone celebrating Thanksgiving from a vacation rental on the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia has a wonderful (and safe) time.