Hotels in Barcelona are closing the summer with a very positive dynamic this year. They ended this season with record prices and an occupancy rate of 87% according to data from the Gremi d’Hotels.
Since last May, the city’s hotel supply has been at 100%, the number of visitors who stayed overnight in the city and sought quality services has been growing progressively.
As a result, an average occupancy rate of 87% was achieved in August 2022, only by one point below the levels achieved in 2019. However, the price that visitors paid to stay in Barcelona remained higher than last year.
In this regard, Jordi Clos, president of Gremi, reported that the increase in tariffs has been 15%. This percentage is a response to the improvement in the quality of customers who have visited the Catalan capital and to being part of one of the best destinations in Europe to travel.
Clos also explained that the pandemic forced hotels in Barcelona to cut prices by 40%. With this, the city attracted a type of tourism that is not very attractive to hoteliers.
Despite this situation, however, the sector has shown a notable improvement in recent months.
In fact, the maximum price per lodging was reached in June 2022. In that month the average room cost 190 euros. In July, the average per room was €177 (€21 more than in 2019) and in August, €181 (€37 more compared to the same period in 2019).
What you left this summer
Overall, occupancy figures for the season were good. As a result, the sector will not close the year with losses and will generate profits. That is already a great achievement.
In addition, some thirty major events and fairs are already scheduled in the city until the end of the year, which will help the recovery of pre-pandemic figures.
It is an opportunity for those who are part of the sector to respond by being more competitive to the high international and even local demand.
Jordi Clos invites that Barcelona must develop all its hotel and tourism potential to be able to compete with other destinations.
The celebration of the America’s Sailing Cup in 2024 with headquarters in Barcelona and the renewal of the agreement to hold the Mobile World Congress in the following years, are an example of the city’s potential.
Barcelona hotels and the near future
Notwithstanding this encouraging performance of the hotel sector, the Gremi states that “it is still in a complicated scenario”.
This is due to rising inflation worldwide, rising energy costs and the long-term consequences of the pandemic.
