- Athens hotel performance slowed in 2025, with guest demand softening after years of strong growth.
- Thessaloniki’s hotels continued to see steady gains in both occupancy and rates.
- Resorts had fewer room nights booked but earned more from high-spending guests.
- Increased supply and competition from short-term rentals put pressure on city hotel results.
- Tourists are spending more per room, even when they stay less.
Shifting Trends: Greek Hotel Performance in 2025
The first half of 2025 brought a mix of ups and downs for hotel performance in Greece. Data from GBR Consulting show city hotels followed different paths while resorts carved out their own story.
Athens started strong, with both room occupancy and average daily rates higher in early 2025 than in the same period in 2024. This momentum faded by April. Hotel occupancy dipped by 5.6 percent that month, though the average room rate edged up 4.6 percent. For hoteliers, this combination led to a slight 1.3 percent dip in revenue per available room (RevPAR). May brought a modest lift, but June saw further drops with occupancy down by 2 percent and rates slipping 3.9 percent.
These changes follow several years of rapid post-pandemic growth for Athens hotels. Now, the city is feeling the effects of a bigger hotel supply and fresh competition from short-term rentals like Airbnb. In Attica, these rentals jumped by 17 percent in 2025, raising the bar for everyone. Short-term rental prices also kept rising.
Preliminary data for July suggested occupancy and pricing would soften further. Demand stayed weak, with hotel managers in Athens feeling doubtful about a recovery in August, even during the usual seasonal peak.
Spending Data: Athens
- April occupancy down: 5.6%
- April average daily rate up: 4.6%
- June occupancy down: 2%
- June average daily rate down: 3.9%
- Short-term rental units up: 17% in Attica
Thessaloniki and Resorts: Contrasting Fortunes
Unlike the capital, Thessaloniki enjoyed a stronger first half of the year. Hotels saw a 4.3 percent rise in occupancy and a 4.4 percent boost in average daily rates compared to 2024. The increase came from more business and tourist trips, new flight links, cruise arrivals, and a lengthened tourist season, which all played a part in lifting the city’s appeal.
While city hotels had different results, resorts drew in travelers happy to spend more, even if they stayed fewer nights. Spring 2025 started with hotel occupancy down 4.1 percent in April versus the prior year, but the total money spent per occupied room shot up by 25 percent. These hotels also had more rooms to sell: supply climbed by 27 percent.
During the second quarter, occupancy rates at resorts remained low. May was especially slow. Still, over the first half of 2025, the year-on-year drop in occupancy was just 1.1 percent, while spending per room went up 10.3 percent. That meant total revenue per available room (Total RevPAR) improved by 9.1 percent compared to 2024.
Spending Data: Resorts
- April occupancy down: 4.1%
- April total revenue per occupied room up: 25%
- Available room supply up: 27%
- Jan–June occupancy down: 1.1%
- Jan–June total spending per room up: 10.3%
- Jan–June total RevPAR up: 9.1%
More spending per traveler suggests resorts are now attracting higher-income guests and may be selling more premium experiences, such as dining, spa treatments, and special activities.
What Tourists Should Know for the Rest of 2025
Early results for 2025 confirm Greek hotels are moving into a new phase where quality revenue outweighs simple visitor numbers. Athens faces tough competition with more rooms on the market and with short-term rentals winning over some guests. Thessaloniki’s steady climb stands out. Resorts are betting on bigger overall spending from their guests, even as total room nights fall.
The results from August and the whole summer will shape how 2025 is remembered. For tourists planning trips, it might be smart to compare rates, check for new resort experiences, and be ready for changing availability in Athens and beyond.
