Overnight stays in hotels in Spain reached 35.5 million in May, representing a 0.4% decrease compared to the same month last year, according to provisional data published on Monday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). The decline in overnight stays in Spanish hotels in May was due to a 1.6% drop in overnight stays by foreign tourists, while those by Spanish residents increased by 2.5% year-on-year in the fifth month of the year.
In the first five months of the year, stays in Spanish hotels totalled just over 122 million, unchanged compared to the same period in 2024, with a 0.4% decrease among travellers residing in Spain and a 0.2% increase among foreigners. Andalusia, Catalonia and the Valencian Community were the preferred destinations for Spanish travellers in May, accounting for 20.3%, 14.5% and 11.8% of overnight stays, respectively. International tourists mainly opted for the Balearics (30.4%), the Canary Islands (18.2%) and Catalonia (18.1%).
In terms of tourist areas, the island of Mallorca recorded the highest number of overnight stays, with more than 6.2 million, while the tourist spots with the most overnight stays were Madrid, Barcelona and Calvia. In addition, travellers from the United Kingdom and Germany accounted for 28.6% and 16.8%, respectively, of the total number of overnight stays by non-residents in May. Meanwhile, stays by tourists from France, the United States and the Netherlands - the next largest source markets - accounted for 9.0%, 5.0% and 4.5% of the total, respectively.
In terms of prices, the Hotel Price Index rose by 5.7% in May compared to the same month in 2024, marking 48 consecutive months of year-on-year increases. By autonomous community and city, the highest increase was recorded in Aragon (9.8%) and the sharpest decline was in Cantabria (0.9%). By category, the highest price increase was in two- and three-star silver establishments (9.8%).
Similarly, the average revenue per room occupied (ADR) was £118 in the fifth month of the year, representing an increase of 5.6% compared to the same month in 2024. In turn, the average daily revenue per available room (RevPAR), which is determined by the occupancy of these establishments, reached £82.9, an increase of 5.6%.
By category, the ADR was £285 for five-star hotels, £121.4 for four-star hotels and £89.9 for three-star hotels. RevPAR for these same categories was £192, £93.4 and £64, respectively.
Specifically, the tourist destination with the highest ADR was Marbella, with £235. Meanwhile, Barcelona had the highest RevPar, at £185.7.
In May, 53.9% of available beds were filled, representing an annual increase of 1.7%, while the occupancy rate per bed at weekends grew by 4.3% to 61.9%. The Canary Islands were the destination with the highest occupancy rate per bed during the fifth month (60.9%). By tourist area, Palma and Calvia achieved the highest occupancy rate per bed and at weekends, with 75.1% and 79.7%, respectively.