The price of hotels in Spain continues to rise in the middle of the high season. In July, establishments generated an average of 156.92 euros per occupied room, 6.79% more than a year ago, while the Hotel Price Index increased by 5.91%.
However, the national average hides significant differences between territories and tourist destinations, both in room prices and in occupancy and profitability of the establishments.
Hotels cost an average of almost 157 euros per occupied room
The starting point for understanding the map of hotel prices this summer is the national average. The ADR, an indicator that collects the average daily income obtained per occupied room, reached 156.92 euros in July 2026, compared to a level 6.79% lower a year earlier.
This figure does not mean that booking any hotel room in Spain costs exactly 156.92 euros. It refers to the average daily billing per effectively occupied room, which includes very different establishments, categories, clients, and rates.
The increase is also reflected in the Hotel Price Index, which specifically measures the evolution of prices applied by hotel entrepreneurs. This indicator advanced 5.91% year-on-year in July, confirming that the increase in billing per room coincides with a general rise in accommodation prices.
The hotel price map changes considerably depending on the destination
The national situation is not reproduced homogeneously throughout the country. The territorial data from the INE show significant differences between communities, provinces, areas, and tourist spots, especially in high-demand destinations during the central summer months.
The effect is also noticeable when observing the immediately preceding month. In June, for example, the Balearic Islands recorded the highest increase in the Hotel Price Index among all autonomous communities, with a year-on-year increase of 9.2%, well above the 5.6% recorded at that time for the whole of Spain.
The comparison also serves to show why "most expensive destination" and "destination where prices rise the most" do not mean the same thing. A municipality may present one of the highest average rates in Spain and, however, record a lower year-on-year increase than another territory that started from much lower prices.
Marbella sets the ceiling for rates at the start of summer
Among the specific tourist destinations, the Costa del Sol appears at the highest levels of the official statistics. In June, Marbella recorded the highest ADR of the tourist points analyzed by the INE, with 315.4 euros per occupied room.
The figure represented more than double the Spanish average for that month, which stood at 137.1 euros. It does not mean that all rooms in Marbella cost 315 euros, but that the establishments in the municipality earned that amount on average for each room they managed to occupy.
Another municipality in Málaga stood out for a different indicator. Estepona presented the highest RevPAR, with 249.9 euros per available room. Unlike the ADR, this indicator indirectly takes into account the occupancy level, as it divides the income among all available rooms and not just among those sold.
Balearic Islands combine high prices with very high occupancy
The price of a room is only part of the picture. The profitability of hotels also depends on their ability to fill the establishments, and it is precisely there that the main island destinations acquire special prominence during the summer.
The latest complete data prior to July already showed that the Balearic Islands reached an occupancy rate of 82.5% in June, the highest among the autonomous communities. In the tourist area of Palma-Calvià, the occupancy rose to 84.8% and reached 86.6% during the weekends.
Some municipalities were still above that. Alcúdia recorded an occupancy of 89.6% of its hotel rooms, while Llucmajor reached 92.1% during the weekends. These are levels that show the enormous pressure of demand on certain destinations in the Balearic Islands during the high season.
The five stars play in another league
The price differences do not depend solely on where the hotel is located. The category of the establishment creates an even greater gap and helps explain why some destinations with a high concentration of luxury hotels present ADRs that are much higher than the average.
Already in June, Spanish five-star hotels billed an average of 317.9 euros per occupied room, compared to 141.3 euros for four-star establishments and 110.9 euros for three-star ones.
The difference also appeared in the revenue per available room. The RevPAR reached 231.1 euros in five-star hotels, while it stood at 114.2 euros for four-star hotels and 84.4 euros for three-star establishments. Therefore, part of the territorial differences also responds to the composition of the hotel supply in each destination.
July brings the national average rate up to 156.92 euros
The jump experienced in July is considerable even compared to the previous month. The national average rate went from 137.1 euros in June to 156.92 euros in July, coinciding with the start of one of the highest tourist demand periods of the year.
Occupancy by available rooms also increased to 71.09%, while overnight stays approached 44.85 million. Hotels managed to raise their revenue per occupied room by 6.79% year-on-year while the number of overnight stays advanced only 0.33%.
This difference is relevant for interpreting the summer price increase. Hotel nights barely increase compared to last year, but the revenue obtained per occupied room grows almost 7%, which points to rates as one of the main drivers of the growth of unit revenues in the sector.
The most expensive destination is not the one that has increased the most
When comparing tourist destinations, it is advisable to avoid a common confusion. The ADR allows knowing how much hotels earn on average for each occupied room, while the Hotel Price Index measures how prices evolve. They are related indicators, but not equivalent.
Therefore, that Marbella appears with an ADR above 300 euros does not alone demonstrate that it is the place where prices have increased the most. Similarly, a territory can experience a strong percentage increase and still have rooms considerably cheaper than the major luxury destinations.
The recent behavior of the Balearic Islands itself allows observing this difference: in June it led the autonomous increase in hotel prices with 9.2%, while Marbella stood out for recording the highest ADR among tourist spots. They are two different classifications that should not be presented as if they measure the same thing.
August may push rates even higher
The data published now corresponds to July and, therefore, still does not allow knowing officially how much hotels have charged during August 2026. The hotel statistics from the INE have a monthly periodicity and the results for August will be known later.
The reference for July leaves, in any case, a market that enters the heart of summer with an average rate of practically 157 euros, prices 5.9% higher than those of a year ago and more than seven out of ten places occupied.
The territorial map adds the other half of the story: staying in a hotel this summer has not become more expensive in the same way throughout Spain. The island destinations bear an especially high occupancy and the major luxury tourist enclaves can register rates that widely double the national average. To know which destinations have finally experienced the highest increases throughout the summer, the official data for August will need to be incorporated when published.