article_detail

Hotel prices in Spain are still rising at a pace that leaves many visitors feeling the pinch. According to fresh data from the European Consumer Price Index, accommodation in Spanish hotels cost 7.5% more in April than a year earlier. That is more than double the 3.6% rise seen across the EU as a whole, and it is the fifth highest increase in the bloc after Belgium, Croatia, Romania, the Netherlands and Latvia.

 

The figures show that, since the start of the pandemic, hotel prices in Spain have climbed around 58%, well ahead of the 24.5% rise in overall consumer prices. Across the EU, hotel accommodation is now about 39% more expensive than it was in 2019, but Spain is far above that average. Major economies such as Italy, France and Germany have seen hotel price increases of around 29% to 39% over the same period.

 

The surge is especially sharp in some Spanish regions. Madrid leads the way, with hotel prices up 69.1% since 2019, closely followed by Andalucía, Murcia, the Valencian Community, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, Aragon and the Basque Country, all recording rises above half their pre pandemic levels. Other regions such as Castile and León, the Canary Islands, Catalonia and Galicia are below the national average, while Cantabria and La Rioja have seen the smallest increases, at roughly one fifth of 2019 prices.

 

A key factor behind the rise is the powerful rebound in foreign tourism, which now outpaces domestic travel. Figures from the National Institute of Statistics show that, in the first quarter of the year, international travellers stayed in Spanish hotels more often than Spanish residents for the first time on record. Over the whole of last year, foreign tourists accounted for 63.8 million hotel stays, compared with 54.6 million for Spanish visitors.

 

 

Much of this extra demand has been focused on higher end hotels. Between 2019 and 2025, the jump in overnight stays by foreign tourists was concentrated in four and five star establishments, where growth has been strong, while increases in one to three star hotels have been modest or barely noticeable. Across all accommodation types, including hostels and tourist apartments, the bulk of new foreign demand has landed in establishments rated two or three silver stars.

 

The result is a clear picture: Spain’s hotels are being pulled significantly upwards by wealthier international visitors, leaving many local and British expat guests asking whether the holiday is still worth the extra cost.

 

 

Image: Atlantic Ambience/Pexels