Easter hotel prices in Spain surge by 40 percent
Analysis of Spanish hotel prices has revealed that room rates are 40 percent higher over Easter than they were a year ago, with the most expensive being in cities with strong Semana Santa traditions like Seville.
Hotel prices in Spain have skyrocketed during the Easter period, with the average room now 40 percent more expensive than last year, according to the report 'The Hotel Pricing Outlook' by consultancy firm Simon-Kucher.
The average room in Spain during Semana Santa (Holy Week) is €183 a night this year, and in cities with deep-rooted Semana Santa traditions such as Seville, average prices have reached an eye-watering €300 a night, a 25 percent increase on 2022. In Málaga, another Andalusian city with famous Semana Santa processions, the average rate is €245 a night, a 12 percent rise.
The Spanish tourism sector has continued a strong post-pandemic recovery at the start of 2023, with levels of international visitors very nearly on par with 2019 figures and visitors spending more money than in the past.
READ ALSO: Tourists return to Spain in their millions to give Spanish economy major boost
According to figures from Spain's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, in January and February 8.5 million international tourists came to Spain, 50 percent more than a year ago and only 1.3 percent below pre-pandemic levels. In the first two months of the year, tourists spent €10.5 billion, 54.7 percent more than a year earlier and over €1 billion (12.9 percent) more than in the same period in 2019.
Add to this upward trend to Semana Santa, one of Spain's most iconic cultural events, and it is little surprise that room rates have skyrocketed so suddenly.
However, the steep price increases aren't only in southern Spain, or places traditionally associated with Easter celebrations. Despite the fact that Seville and Málaga lead in terms of price-per-night averages, Madrid and Barcelona are the cities that experienced the greatest price increases.
READ ALSO:
- The essential guide to Easter in Spain in 2023
- Holidays will be 22 percent more expensive in Spain this Easter
Booking a hotel room in Barcelona this Easter is 49 percent more expensive than in 2022, with the average room rate rocketing from €150 to €224 a night.
In Madrid prices have increased by 43 percent, going from €144 to €206.
The cheapest places to rent a hotel room in Spain during Easter are its islands: the Canary Islands and Balearics have the lowest prices, with average rates of €127 and €138 a night.
READ ALSO: What will the weather be like in Spain for Easter week?
But rising prices, it seems, are not impacting room occupancy. "We are seeing occupancy rising hand in hand with prices, although this situation may no longer be sustainable," Miguel Afán, partner at Simon-Kucher focusing on tourism and leisure, explained. "It is not a question of how much to raise prices but how to do it, as up to now many of the upward adjustments have been made in an unsophisticated way."
Ana Morillo, another partner at Simon-Kucher, added that "despite great efforts of the sector not to pass on costs to the consumer, the sector has accumulated increases of up to 50 percent compared to last year, something that has led to some destinations not recovering pre-pandemic occupancy levels. The sector must ensure that prices are adjusted to the willingness to pay and look for alternatives to maximise revenue beyond rooms."
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Hotel prices in Spain have skyrocketed during the Easter period, with the average room now 40 percent more expensive than last year, according to the report 'The Hotel Pricing Outlook' by consultancy firm Simon-Kucher.
The average room in Spain during Semana Santa (Holy Week) is €183 a night this year, and in cities with deep-rooted Semana Santa traditions such as Seville, average prices have reached an eye-watering €300 a night, a 25 percent increase on 2022. In Málaga, another Andalusian city with famous Semana Santa processions, the average rate is €245 a night, a 12 percent rise.
The Spanish tourism sector has continued a strong post-pandemic recovery at the start of 2023, with levels of international visitors very nearly on par with 2019 figures and visitors spending more money than in the past.
READ ALSO: Tourists return to Spain in their millions to give Spanish economy major boost
According to figures from Spain's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, in January and February 8.5 million international tourists came to Spain, 50 percent more than a year ago and only 1.3 percent below pre-pandemic levels. In the first two months of the year, tourists spent €10.5 billion, 54.7 percent more than a year earlier and over €1 billion (12.9 percent) more than in the same period in 2019.
Add to this upward trend to Semana Santa, one of Spain's most iconic cultural events, and it is little surprise that room rates have skyrocketed so suddenly.
However, the steep price increases aren't only in southern Spain, or places traditionally associated with Easter celebrations. Despite the fact that Seville and Málaga lead in terms of price-per-night averages, Madrid and Barcelona are the cities that experienced the greatest price increases.
READ ALSO:
- The essential guide to Easter in Spain in 2023
- Holidays will be 22 percent more expensive in Spain this Easter
Booking a hotel room in Barcelona this Easter is 49 percent more expensive than in 2022, with the average room rate rocketing from €150 to €224 a night.
In Madrid prices have increased by 43 percent, going from €144 to €206.
The cheapest places to rent a hotel room in Spain during Easter are its islands: the Canary Islands and Balearics have the lowest prices, with average rates of €127 and €138 a night.
READ ALSO: What will the weather be like in Spain for Easter week?
But rising prices, it seems, are not impacting room occupancy. "We are seeing occupancy rising hand in hand with prices, although this situation may no longer be sustainable," Miguel Afán, partner at Simon-Kucher focusing on tourism and leisure, explained. "It is not a question of how much to raise prices but how to do it, as up to now many of the upward adjustments have been made in an unsophisticated way."
Ana Morillo, another partner at Simon-Kucher, added that "despite great efforts of the sector not to pass on costs to the consumer, the sector has accumulated increases of up to 50 percent compared to last year, something that has led to some destinations not recovering pre-pandemic occupancy levels. The sector must ensure that prices are adjusted to the willingness to pay and look for alternatives to maximise revenue beyond rooms."
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