Total revenue was $167 million, an increase of 43% from the second quarter, driven by a nearly 10-point sequential increase in occupancy at an average rate for the comparable portfolio that not only grew 13% from the second quarter of 2021, but was also just above the third quarter of 2019.
While occupancy increased to nearly 55% and benefited from growth in all segments, transient demand remained a standout, with room nights increasing 27% compared to the second quarter.
Our total portfolio third quarter average daily rate was $30 higher than the second quarter and even when excluding Montage Healdsburg, which ran a very robust average daily rate of nearly $1,250, our comparable portfolio ADR of just over $248 in the third quarter came in higher than 2019 levels.
In fact, Oceans Edge saw rates increase in astonishing 103% as compared to 2019 and Wailea Beach Resort vested their pre-pandemic rate by 40%.
In addition to a stronger rate performance, out-of-room spend also increased with food and beverage revenues higher by 79% in the third quarter as compared to the second quarter, representing a 47% increase in food and beverage spend per occupied room.
Banquet and catering contribution per occupied group room increased over the second quarter by $96 and achieved approximately 70% of 2019 levels.
Combined with stronger ADR, the growth in nonrooms revenue generated a quarterly comparable TRevPAR of $207, a 41% increase from $146 achieved in the second quarter.
Year-to-date, we have eliminated nearly $11 million of costs from our hotels, which we believe will be lasting savings and can be sustained, even as business levels and occupancies increase.
During the quarter, our comparable hotels generated hotel EBITDA margins of 24.3%.
While this is below the low 30% range we maintained historically, delivering mid-20% margins at a portfoliowide occupancy of just below 55% is a significant accomplishment and gives us confidence that we will be able to achieve higher stabilized margins once demand returns to a more normalized level.
While strong demand for leisure travel seems to be well established at this point, in fact, Saturday of Labor Day weekend was our portfolios highest demand night of the year, with occupancy of 84% at an average rate of nearly $275.
While total group room nights for the quarter increased only marginally from the second quarter to 82,000 nights.
Corporate group activity in the quarter grew nearly 30%, and the association business was more than five times higher than the previous quarter and generated 24,000 room nights.
The Renaissance Orlando, Hilton San Diego and JW Marriott New Orleans, had a substantial increase in association and corporate group business and the Wailea Beach Resort experienced a meaningful return of incentive business, with 8,000 incentive room nights at a very attractive rate of nearly $600 compared to 6,700 room nights and a rate of $400 in the same quarter of 2019.
Approximately 9% of our third quarter group room nights canceled, which were primarily for events in August and September, and approximately 16% of our fourth quarter group rooms canceled, which were primarily for events in October.
For our five large group hotels, which make up 2/3 of our fourth quarter room nights, 77% of our forecasted group room nights have already been picked up.
Moving on to transient, which accounted for roughly 75% of our total room nights in the third quarter.
Total transient rate for the third quarter came in at $285 compared to $261 in the second quarter, an increase of more than 9%.
The number of special corporate rooms increased 103% from the second quarter with rates higher by 20%.
While our third quarter business transient volume was only 50% of pre-pandemic levels, future transient booking pace continues to grow every week and we expect this to accelerate into 2022 as companies increasingly return to the office and business transient travel becomes more widespread.
The ability to achieve premium pricing has been most evident in our resort properties with Montage Healdsburg achieving a rate of approximately $1,250 for the quarter, and Oceans Edge in Wailea Beach Resort seeing rate increases of 103% and 40%, respectively, compared to the third quarter of 2019.
Wailea continues to command a strong TripAdvisor rating despite a $185 higher rate than third quarter of 2019, an impressive achievement, especially given its luxury peers.
Our preliminary results for the month show a reacceleration of demand with RevPAR of approximately $150 made up of occupancy of 57% and a $264 average daily rate.
October RevPAR is second only to our peak month of July and is above August and September by nearly 10% and 14%, respectively.
We invested $25 million into our portfolio in the third quarter with a focus on enhancing the quality and future earnings potential of the portfolio.
In July, we completed work on Boston Park Plazas newest meeting space, The Square, a 7,000 square foot indoor space that will give the hotel incremental capacity to host in-house group business and reduce its reliance on citywide events.
Additionally, in San Diego, we converted unused space into 6,800 square feet of new, high-quality meeting space that looks out onto the San Diego Bay.
First, we completed the sale of the 348-room Renaissance Westchester for gross proceeds of approximately $19 million.
This hotel was a noncore asset in a challenged market that lacks sufficient demand to Marriott reopening after operations were suspended at the onset of the pandemic The net proceeds from the sale, after the payment of termination fees and severance costs, was approximately $11 million and the disposition removes an asset that was expected to be a drag on cash flow and growth going forward.
Next, we are under contract to sell the 340-room Embassy Suites La Jolla for $226.7 million or approximately $667,000 per key.
Net proceeds after the mortgage loan are expected to be approximately $165 million.
We are acquiring the resort for a gross purchase price of $177.5 million, a meaningful discount to its development cost.
In addition to the 85-room resort and its abundant event space and full suite of luxury amenities, the acquisition price also includes nearly 4.5 acres of vineyards and the Elusa Winery along with the inventory of prior wine vintages.
Between the Four Seasons and the Montage, we will have approximately 10% of our asset value in one of the most supply constrained sought after and highest-rated leisure destinations in the country.
We will own the two premier assets and establish a market-leading position in Wine Country with ownership of approximately 24% of the luxury room inventory and 32% of the luxury event space.
As of the end of the third quarter, we had approximately $222 million of total cash and cash equivalents, including $42 million of restricted cash.
In addition to cash on hand, we also maintained full availability on our $500 million revolving credit facility, which equates to over $700 million of total existing liquidity.
As Bryan mentioned earlier, net cash proceeds from the sale of Embassy Suites La Jolla are expected to be approximately $165 million after the buyers assumption of the existing $57 million mortgage loan.
Third quarter adjusted EBITDAre was $35 million and third quarter adjusted FFO was $0.10 per diluted share.
During the third quarter, we recognized $1.6 million of restoration expense and an impairment charge of $1 million as a result of damage incurred at our two hotels in New Orleans following Hurricane Ida.
The Hilton New Orleans, St. Charles sustained the bulk of the damage, and we are working with our insurers to identify and settle a property damage claim, but we expect that future losses from the restoration work at this hotel will be mitigated by the propertys insurance deductible of approximately $3 million.

Summary:
Third quarter adjusted EBITDAre was $35 million and third quarter adjusted FFO was $0.10 per diluted share.