High-flying for Athens hotels in the first quarter

The first quarter of 2024 closed for Athens hotels with increased performance in occupancy, average room rate, and revenue per available room.

According to data from the Athens, Attica, and Argosaronic Hotel Association, the first quarter closed:

• With an average occupancy of 63.5% (an increase of 5.2% compared to the corresponding period of 2024),
• With an average room rate (ADR) of 125 euros (an increase of 7.8% compared to the first quarter of 2024) and
• With revenue per available room (Rev Par) of 79.43 euros (an increase of 13.5% compared to the first quarter of last year). This increase is in line with HSMAI Europe data, which shows that Greek hotels are among the top three European markets with the highest performance in revenue per available room (RevPAR) in March.

In terms of average occupancy, March was the best-performing of the first three months of 2025, recording city break destination data. But February 2025, whose average occupancy increased by 2.5% compared to February 2024, also shows an impressive increase in the two years, of the order of 19.1%.

If everything goes smoothly, the so-called 'side months' or off-peak months' will gradually be limited, emphasizes the HSMAA, adding: Athens should be in practice a 12-month destination, without symptoms of seasonality.

But also in terms of Average Room Rate (ADR) and Revenue per Available Room (RevPar), the first quarter of 2025 did well with 125 euros ADR and 79.43 euros (RevPar), respectively, recording an increase of 7.8% and 13.5% compared to the first quarter of 2024.

In relation to the performance of Athens' competitor cities, at a quarterly level, Athens' hotels also had a good performance and efficiency.

Madrid's occupancy moved at the same levels as the corresponding quarter of 2024 (+0.3%), Barcelona's average occupancy showed a decreasing trend (-0.4%), while Rome and Istanbul's occupancy recorded a small increase of 2.7% and 1.2%, respectively.

In terms of average room rate (ADR), comparing the average price of Athens in the first quarter of 2025 against the corresponding period of 2024, we observe an increase for Athens by 7.8%, for Madrid by 11.4%, for Barcelona by 7.6%, for Rome by 5.3%, and for Istanbul by 2.2%.

Correspondingly, in the revenue per available room (Rev Par) in the first quarter of 2025, an increase was observed for Athens by 13.5%, for Madrid by 11.7%, for Barcelona by 7.1%, for Rome by 8.1%, and for Istanbul by 3.4%.

Commenting on the performance of the first quarter, the ESAAA underlines:

"We observe that the performance of Athens in all the indicators studied has been slowly but steadily improving over the last two years, as has Athens' position - compared to its traditional competitors. Despite the addition of many new beds, mainly in non-hotel tourist accommodations, the popularity of Athens continues to fuel demand and supply.

Therefore, at this very moment, we must focus with particular attention not only on the indicators but also on the qualitative objectives:

Tourism, and therefore Athens' revenues, will be able to follow a growth path if and as long as those involved in Tourism and Local Government move forward collaboratively, with a long-term plan for the 'tomorrow' image of the city in the eyes of the visitor and with a view to continuously improving the quality of our offer.

For example, in order to maintain a balance between the necessary ‘value for money’ relationship that attracts tourists to Athens, luxurious or renovated accommodation rooms are no longer enough. Better service is required for visitors to the Acropolis, archaeological sites and upgraded Museums, modern networks and safe infrastructure are required, provision is required for the new needs in water supply, sewage, cleanliness, security, etc. of a city that is steadily multiplying its population both in permanent residents and visitors – in order to improve the daily life of citizens and subsequently of visitors.

The Commercial and Historical Center needs to be connected to every coastal and touristic corner of Attica, the islands of the Argosaronic Gulf must be connected to each other with frequent and fast transport, but roads, ports, and marinas must also be modernized.

This month, the ATHENS Tourism and Hospitality Association is launching a series of surveys that record the problems and needs of our city, as well as (as every year for 21 years) the "Annual Survey of Satisfaction of Foreign Visitors and the Performance of Attica Hotels".

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