- Winter hotel bookings in Athens are rising as the city extends its tourist season.
- Average room rates are hitting near-record levels, even as occupancy is still catching up.
- Traditional hotels face mounting pressure from short-term rentals and pricing tension.
- Smaller boutique venues and large chains alike must navigate the dynamics of luxury versus local pricing.
When the island-hopping slows and the Aegean calms, Athens steps into the spotlight. This winter, the city’s hotel industry is gearing up for what could be a breakthrough season — not just in arrivals, but in revenue and strategic repositioning.
According to the Athens–Attica & Argosaronic Hotel Association, occupancy for hotels in the Athens-Attica region rose to 79.3 % in August 2025, up from 77.9 % a year earlier. At the same time, the average room rate climbed to €187.30. eKathimerini
Booking Surge + Rate Increase
Winter bookings are showing a notable uptick. A report from March 2025 found that the average room rates in Athens for winter (February) reached approximately €123, up nearly 7% from the previous year. Argophilia
Meanwhile, off-season occupancy in January and February climbed to 66.3% in February 2024, up from 58.0% in February 2023. GTP Headlines
Luxury vs Local Pricing Tension
The good news for large chains and luxury properties is that they’re capturing elevated average daily rates (ADR). But the flip side is an intensifying tension with local hotels and the short-term rental market.
As one analysis pointed out: while Athens saw its ADR climb by about 10 % compared to 2023, average occupancy didn’t accelerate at the same pace — in part because short-term rentals are eating into volume. GTP Headlines
The challenge: maintaining local price levels and neighborhood sustainability while promoting premium hotel growth.
Strategic Moves for Winter
Hotel operators are responding with a number of tactics:
- Promoting winter city-break packages (conference + culture) rather than pure sun-and-sea stays.
- Enhancing off-season services — from hotel spas to food experiences — to capture niche demand.
- Adjusting pricing floors to ensure that room rates remain competitive compared to short-term rentals, especially for boutique properties.
- Monitoring occupancy closely: Even with 79.3 % in August, some hoteliers feel the dip in earlier months means there’s still room to grow. Tornos News
The Big Picture
Between 2019 and 2024, Athens’ hotel inventory grew by just over 5 %. HVS Hotel Valuation Index The pricing environment is buoyant: in 2024 RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room) reportedly rose nearly 20% in Athens, pushing performance to around 40 % above 2019 in real-terms.
But occupancy still has untapped potential — winter is where the real gap lies. If this season becomes strong, Athens could shift from being mostly a spring-autumn city-break destination to a year-round hotel market.
Risks and Watch-outs
- Overreliance on short-term rentals continues to pose a risk to hotel pricing and neighbourhood balance.
- Infrastructure and service quality must keep pace with higher expectations from guests paying premium rates.
- A summer-oriented mindset still lingers: winter demand is rising but bookings remain more volatile.
- Smaller three-star and four-star hotels feel the squeeze as premium rooms pull away and alternative accommodations proliferate.
