Romania’s hospitality industry posted a 19% jump in turnover during the first half of 2025, the third-largest increase in the European Union, as room rates soared and domestic travelers absorbed higher costs.
The surge in revenue, fueled by an 8% rise in average daily rates, has pushed Romanian hotel pricing in line with established Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets like Poland and the Czech Republic.
But the gains mask a troubling trend: the number of overnight stays in hotels rose by less than 4%, with foreign tourists accounting for just 2.2 million stays—compared to 7.2 million in Poland and 6.1 million in Hungary.
Romania’s reliance on domestic travelers, who made up 78% of overnight stays in 2025, is the second-highest in the EU, underscoring the market’s vulnerability to local economic shifts.
In Bucharest, revenue per available room (RevPAR) hit €78, just 10% below Vienna and on par with Warsaw and Prague, according to STR data. Occupancy rates also climbed to 65%, matching the CEE average and outpacing Western Europe, where growth stagnated below 2%.
New hotels, old challenges
Romania’s hotel pipeline offers a glimmer of hope. At least 15 new properties are slated to open by 2027, including high-profile entries like the Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard and the Bucharest Unirii Square Handwritten Collection by Accor.
Yet, the country’s struggle to draw foreign tourists persists. Over the past decade, overnight stays by international visitors grew by just 23%, compared to 44% in Poland and 26% in Hungary.
Articolul Romania’s hotel boom outpaces Europe, but can it last? a fost publicat prima dată în Money Buzz! • Știri Economice, Știri Financiare, Știri Business