The most popular place to stay in the Rio Grande Valley this year isn’t a hotel

Travelers across the Rio Grande Valley spent more than $366 million on lodging between January and October, according to hotel occupancy tax data analyzed by the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal.

South Padre Island was the most popular destination for overnight stays, and travelers more often preferred to lodge at short-term rentals rather than hotels, particularly at Airbnb and Vrbo sites, according to data from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Vacasa Inc., another international short-term rental company, also had a strong presence on the island.

July was the Rio Grande Valley’s peak travel month, with visitors spending $46 million on hotel rooms and short-term rentals. June followed as the second most popular month, generating $42 million in hotel occupancy tax room receipts. Meanwhile, January was the least popular month, with $25 million in room receipts.

The Courtyard by Marriott on South Padre Island had the highest hotel occupancy receipts, topping $9.8 million. 

That hotel is owned and operated by Modern Resort Lodging LLC, a company affiliated with Ruby Red Hospitality, which is controlled by McAllen-based hotelier Barry Patel. 

Read more about Patel’s newest project, a condo-style Hilton hotel planned in McAllen.

Ruby Red Hospitality controls several other popular hotels on the list, including the Hilton Garden Inn on South Padre Island, La Copa Inn Resort, La Quinta Inn & Suites on South Padre Island, Embassy Suites by Hilton in McAllen, Aloft by Marriott, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and Sapphire on South Padre Island. The company also operates Airbnb rentals on South Padre Island, Patel said. 

“We have like 30 condos on South Padre Island, and we run them through Airbnb; it’s becoming more like a hotel,” Patel said. 

South Padre Island has “steady business” throughout the year, even around the holidays, Patel said. Occupancy for Ruby Red Hospitality-controlled hotels was already at 60% as of last week.

“I think we’ll be booked solid,” Patel said about the holiday break, which is expected to bring mid-80s weather.

Other high-performing lodging operators 

Beyond Ruby Red Hospitality’s portfolio, several other lodging operators also ranked among the most popular places to stay in the region.

Margaritaville Beach Resort ranked as the second most popular lodging spot on South Padre Island. The resort is owned by Key Foster, CEO of Highline Real Estate Partners, based in Birmingham, Alabama.

Other high-performing properties on the island include Isla Grand Beach Resort, which is owned and operated by SPI Management Co. The company’s president is South Padre Island attorney Kathy Cunningham. 

Holiday Inn Beach Resort is owned by Innjoy Hospitality LLC, run by Nitin Kasan of McAllen-based Oceangate Hotel and Development Company.

Short-term rental operators also ranked among the most popular places to stay overnight. 

Padre Island Rentals is owned by Robert M. Goodman Associates Inc., led by President Thomas W. Goodman II, who also serves as a commissioner for the city of San Benito.

In McAllen, the DoubleTree Hotel is owned by Calmac Suites Ltd., a shell company for McAllen GA Inc. The entity is co-operated by Gregory Greenstein, Jodie Fishman, and Joseph Amoros, all based in California.