This year's Oktoberfest is set to be a significant driver of hotel demand, particularly in its home city of Munich, but also in other cities hosting similar festivals.
The sample of branded full-service hotels in Vienna recorded a notable increase in profit during the 12 months ending in June 2025. The GOP per available room (GOP PAR) increased by 13.8% (YoY), driven by a 6.1% revenue rise that outpaced the 2.5% increase in expenses. While revenue growth slowed to 5.4% in H1 2025, it still surpassed expenses (+4.0%), leading to an 8.8% GOP PAR increase.
The sample of branded full-service hotels in Budapest recorded a large increase in profit during the 12-month period ending in May 2025. The GOP per available room (GOP PAR) rose by 25.9% (YoY), driven by a 15.9% revenue increase and despite rising expenses (+10.0%).
The sample of branded full-service hotels in Barcelona recorded an increase in profit during the 12-month period ending in May 2025. The GOP per available room (GOP PAR) rose by 8.6%, driven by a 5.6% revenue increase and despite rising expenses (+3.3%).
The sample of branded full-service hotels in Edinburgh recorded a healthy increase in profit during the 12-month period ending in May 2025, relative to the same time last year. GOP per available room (GOP PAR) rose by 5.9%, driven by a 3.6% revenue increase and despite rising expenses (+1.9%).
At the luxury and ultraluxury levels, what we see throughout the world is not just lavish amenities and impeccable service, but a dedication by the brands, developers, owners and onsite teams to steward the local community, cherishing its past while responsibly guiding its present for a better future.
Visiting a holiday park, ranging from lodge parks to caravan parks or glamping yurts, is a favoured holiday choice for the UK domestic market. Estimating the market size for UK holiday parks is complex due to overlapping categories. However, Mintel estimates the holiday centres and parks segment revenue to be valued at £3.5bn in 2024 – a 20% growth from pre-pandemic levels. In 2023, there were 4,754 holiday parks and campsites operating in the UK, accounting for 320,901 pitches, with the highest number in South West England. The sector further supports c. 230,000 full time jobs across the UK.
Tourism is big business, bringing millions of inbound visitors not just into entire countries each year, but sometimes tens of millions into just a single city. This brings pressure on local housing markets and services.
Edinburgh is the economic, cultural and political capital of Scotland and is considered one of the UK’s primary powerhouses. This reputation has fuelled significant population growth over the past decade, with the Edinburgh metropolitan area reaching nearly 559,000 residents in 2024, a 12.0% increase since 2014. A compact city steeped in history, with notable cityscapes and exceptional views, Edinburgh is a renowned weekend-break destination with an international airport recording strong passenger growth and fast rail links on the East Coast Mainline branch. As the second most visited city in the UK after London, Edinburgh’s appeal lies in its cultural vibrancy and strategic location. Moreover, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe continues to be a global cultural highlight. In 2024, the festival sold approximately 2.6 million tickets (compared to 2.5 million in 2023), reaffirming its status as the largest annual arts festival in the world.
With large crowds set to descend on Lille, Cannes and Montpellier, hotels in these cities have a golden opportunity to boost revenue. For independent hoteliers especially, staying informed and agile is essential to capturing their fair share of this spike in demand.
As Germany prepares to host some of Europe’s biggest events, hotels should be adjusting their strategies to take full advantage of these major revenue opportunities. For small and mid-sized independent hoteliers, staying ahead of these shifts is key to their success.
The sample of branded full-service hotels in London recorded a healthy increase in profit during the 12-month period ending in May 2025, relative to the same time last year. GOP per available room (GOP PAR) rose by 4.7%, driven by a 2.4% decrease in expenses and a 0.8% revenue increase.
As the longtime General Manager of TUI Magic Life Candia Maris Resort in Crete and the recently appointed General Manager of Santo Collection on Santorini – both under Metaxa Hospitality Group, I’ve seen firsthand that no matter a hotelier’s reason for embracing sustainability, the rewards – for the property, our guests, and the broader community and culture – are well worth the effort.
In a hospitality industry where boutique often means niche and scale often means compromise, GINTO Hotels is quietly proving that the two can coexist. On a recent trip to Paris, I had the opportunity to meet with Brice de Puymorin, Julien Kiefer, and Emmanuelle Pochat, the visionary trio behind GINTO, and to experience their philosophy firsthand during a stay at PILGRIM, their bold Left Bank property. What emerged from our conversation was more than a brand story—it was a blueprint for a new kind of urban hospitality: one that preserves the charm and substance of a neighbourhood hotel while delivering a business model designed for growth across Europe.
The UK government’s April 2025 increase in the National Living Wage—from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour—isn’t just a regulatory update. It’s a fundamental shift in the economics of hospitality. Labour costs are rising sharply, and profitability is under pressure. But the impact isn’t uniform. Some cities are struggling. Others are adapting. A few are even thriving.
Barcelona, the capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is famed for its distinctive architecture, rich cultural heritage and vibrant atmosphere. In 2024, Catalonia outpaced the national economy with a 3.6% growth in GDP (compared to Spain’s 3.2%) with tourism remaining a key driver, contributing around 14.0% of Barcelona’s GDP.
The Algarve is one of Portugal’s most popular tourist regions, accounting for approximately 30% of overnight stays in the country. Known for its mild climate and 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, it first rose to prominence in the 1960s as an upscale alternative to the Mediterranean. Today, it remains a favourite for retirees and second-home buyers from Northern Europe. The region is also considered one of the world’s leading golf destinations, hosting 31 of Portugal’s 75 golf courses. Strict development controls have preserved much of the coastline, distinguishing it from other overdeveloped European resorts.
It’s been a buoyant cycle for hotels in Ireland: long, sustained periods of rising demand, and either constrained supply, or new supply that has been easily absorbed. Transactions have also been strong on the back of these favorable dynamics.
Compared to other countries, Switzerland has steadily become less and less popular as a vacation destination, which raises important questions about the factors shaping international tourism flows. This article examines the role of demographic change, particularly ageing populations, in influencing destination rankings and looks at what these trends may imply for the future of Swiss tourism.
The UK hotel investment market saw record-high transaction volumes in 2024 primarily driven by major portfolio deals such as Edwardian & Village. While Q1 2025 showed a 72% reduction in volume, a higher number of deals were recorded, totaling 28 individual transactions. Institutional buyers drove transaction activity in Q1 2025, accounting for 40% of total volumes. This reflects a shift from Q1 2024, when the market was primarily dominated by private buyers. The Upscale & Luxury segments led marginally in terms of market share (25% & 23%, respectively), though total volumes were down. Looking forward, single asset transactions are expected to dominate, supported by increased price alignment between buyers and sellers and fewer anticipated portfolio deals by year-end.