- The first half of the year has confirmed the continuing record high levels of activity in the hotel industry in terms of both room rates (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR).
- Although occupancy grew by only 0.4% to 73.1% for the country as a whole, a night's stay in a Spanish hotel cost €158.20 on average, 6.5% up on the figure for the first half of 2024. For its part, RevPAR (revenue per available room) climbed to €115.70, an increase of some 6.5% in comparison with the same period in 2024.
The Hotel Industry Barometer, produced by STR and Cushman & Wakefield, shows the dynamic activity of the hotel industry during the first half of the year, with occupancy stabilised at peak levels. Both average daily rates (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) have continued to rise thanks to the strength of demand.
Whilst hotel occupancy stood at 73.1% during the first quarter of 2025, 0.4% higher than in the first half of 2024, ADR (average daily rate) grew by 6.5% in comparison with the same period the preceding year to reach €158.20, with RevPAR rising by 6.9% to €115.70. Considering that the industry is moving at record highs from quarter to quarter, the assessment of the data is highly positive given the sustained upward trend.
Occupancy rates in Madrid again averaged 76.6%, showing a very slight rise of 0.1%, while the average price continued to climb, giving an ADR of €179.60, This is 6.6% up on the figure for the first half of 2024. For its part, the rate per night in Barcelona averaged out at over €195 during the first six months of the year. This is 3.1% up on 2024, despite the fact that occupancy has fallen back by 1.4% to 76.6%. The two largest cities trended positively in terms of RevPAR, with a 1.6% rise in Barcelona to €149.80 and 6.7% growth in Madrid to €137.40.
According to Elvira Arjona, Account Manager Spain at STR,
"Spain has maintained solid growth in key hotel performance indicators during the first half of 2025. Hotel occupancy in Spain is in line with the European average. The most notable difference is, however, seen in ADR, where Spain recorded a year-on-year increase of 6.5%, well above the 1% achieved by Europe as a whole. What is more, Spain’s RevPAR (revenue per available room) has grown by 6.9% compared to 1.5% in Europe, making the Spanish market one of the most profitable and dynamic on the continent".
The Canary Islands lead in terms of occupancy, ahead of Malaga and Alicante
Following several quarters led by the capital of the Costa del Sol, the barometer for the first half of the year sees the Canary Islands overtake Malaga as the destination with the highest occupancy nationwide. The Canary Islands achieved an average occupancy rate of 80.1% between January and June, representing growth of 1.7% on the figure for the same period in 2024. Next in line, Malaga saw its occupancy rate fall by 3.7% to 79.7%, followed by Alicante which, with a rise of 0.3%, climbed to an average of 78.8%.
The destinations enjoying the highest increases in occupancy so far in 2025 are Marbella (+4.3%), Zaragoza (+3.9%) and the Balearic Islands (+3.2%). In contrast, occupancy fell the most in Cordoba (-4.8%) and Valencia (-4.5%).
In the opinion of Bruno Hallé, Partner and Co-head of Cushman & Wakefield Hospitality Spain,
"with occupancy at an all-time high, it is important that hotels maintain or even slightly raise prices because this shows that demand can absorb these. Although double-digit growth is no longer being recorded as it was in 2024, higher prices are also a way of continuing to attract traveller profiles with higher purchasing power."
The average room rate for Spanish hotels grew 6.5% in the first half of the year to €158.20
Spanish hotels are achieving higher price levels from quarter to quarter. The average price increase was 6.5% over the first half of 2025, bringing an overnight stay in a hotel to €158.20. Marbella leads this ranking with a 15.4% increase, meaning that an overnight stay in a hotel there in 2025 costs €312.40. This is also the highest average price in Spain. Barcelona places second in the ranking with an average price of €195.50 and a 3.1% increase on the figure for 2024. Madrid rounds off the podium with an average price of €179.50 per night and a 6.6% increase.
In percentage terms, the highest price increases were in Marbella, Zaragoza (+11.5%), Granada (+11%) and Mallorca (+10.8%), while only Valencia recorded a price drop of 2.6%.
According to Albert Grau, Partner and Co-head of Cushman & Wakefield Hospitality Spain,
"The trend of moderately rising prices should continue for the remainder of the year given that pre-bookings continue to show a lot of interest from the demand side and the holiday season looks set to perform as well as in recent years".
RevPAR grew by 6.9% over the first six months of the year, up to €115.70.
Both revenue per available room (RevPAR) and ADR continue to rise thanks to demand and moderate price rises. As usual, Marbella also leads this ranking due to the weight of its luxury establishments, with a RevPAR of €204.40. This represents spectacular growth of 20.4% in comparison with the first half of 2024.
The top three spots in Spain’s RevPAR league table are rounded off by Barcelona, with a RevPAR of €149.80, representing growth of 1.6% and Madrid, at €137.40 (+6.7%).
In terms of trends and aside from Marbella’s excellent growth of 20.4%, also noteworthy are the figures for Zaragoza (+15.8%), the Balearic Islands (+14.3%) and Granada (+13.3%). The other side of the coin shows a 7% fall in RevPAR for Valencia and a 1.9% and 1.3% drop for Malaga and Cordoba respectively.
The Hotel Sector Barometer brings together data from more than 1,500 hotels and 220,000 rooms in mainland Spain and the islands. The study is the product of an alliance between STR, a worldwide provider of benchmarking, analytics and market knowledge specialising in the hotel sector, and Cushman & Wakefield Spain, the world leader in real estate services.
