Dive Brief:
- Hospitality technology provider Cvent named the 1,012-key JW Marriott Austin in Texas the top meeting hotel in North America out of 250 ranked properties, “underscoring Austin’s continued strength as a sought-after meetings destination,” according to a Tuesday news release.
- The Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Colorado, featuring more than 520,000 square feet in meeting space, and the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, at 2.25 million square feet, rounded out the top three. Overall, the top 10 meeting hotels list had a “strong showing” from several Gaylord and Las Vegas properties, reflecting a “growing premium placed on destinations and brands that can reliably support large, complex events at scale,” per the release.
- In addition to hosting the top meeting hotel, the Austin market also climbed two spots to reach No. 9 on the top 10 meeting destinations list, while Nashville, Tennessee, rose one spot to No. 3. Orlando, Florida, continued to dominate the list, ranking as the top meeting destination in North America out of 50 markets for the 11th year, followed by Las Vegas at No. 2.
Dive Insight:
During the first quarter of 2026, hotel executives touted optimism about the Vegas market, with results suggesting overall resiliency. Wynn CEO Craig Billings said on a Q1 earnings call that Sin City is “performing incredibly well by all historical standards.”
Meanwhile, as it rises in the ranks, Nashville is continuing to show its strength as a convention destination.
Last year, Cvent named the Marriott International-branded Renaissance Nashville Hotel as the top meeting hotel, featuring more than 110,000 square feet in meetings space.
“With world-class venues like Music City Center and Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, a highly walkable downtown campus and an expanding portfolio of luxury hotels, Nashville continues to strengthen and elevate its appeal for meeting planners,” Deana Ivey, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., said in a statement.
This year, Las Vegas and Gaylord-branded properties had a total of three properties each on the list.
Furthermore, the New York City market made gains on this year’s top meeting destinations list, jumping four spots to break into the top 10 at No. 8, per Cvent.
Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, San Diego and Washington, D.C., also ranked among Cvent’s top 10 meeting destinations. Phoenix, which last year made the top 10 destination list, got the boot this year, dropping to No. 11.
Atlanta and Dallas have seen an uptick in tourism in recent years, due to healthy demand for business and leisure travel, hospitality leaders previously told Hotel Dive.
Overall, the 2026 rankings demonstrate the “renewed strength of gateway cities” like New York as well as continued momentum from “high-growth meeting hubs” including Nashville and Austin. Last year, three properties in Nashville made it on the top 10 meeting hotels list.
To determine the top destinations list, Cvent evaluated more than 14,000 cities worldwide listed on the Cvent Supplier Network between January 2025 and December 2025. For the top meeting hotels, the tech company evaluated hotel properties that generated business from the supplier network.
Top 10 meeting hotels:
- JW Marriott Austin in Texas
- Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Colorado
- The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
- Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville
- Fontainebleau Las Vegas
- Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in Arizona
- Wynn and Encore Las Vegas
- Omni Nashville Hotel
- Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
- Fairmont Austin
