Vincci Hotels has grown by more than 8 per cent this summer

Coinciding with World Tourism Day, celebrated on 27 September, the company takes stock of a summer marked by growth in international markets and identifies a traveller for 2027 who is better informed, more demanding and more focused on experiences that add value to their stay, with growing interest in discovering the destination and connecting with its surroundings and local culture.

The destination is playing an increasingly important role in the way people travel. Guests are not simply looking for a place to stay, but also for a way to connect with the place they visit, learn about its culture, discover its gastronomy and get closer to its identity. In this new context, the hotel takes on a different role: it is no longer simply the place where the stay begins and ends, but also becomes a starting point for discovering the destination.

Against this backdrop, and on the occasion of World Tourism Day, Vincci Hoteles takes stock of a positive summer in 2026, both in terms of demand and sales value. Between July and mid-September, the company increased its turnover by more than 8% compared with the same period in 2025, while revenue from accommodation grew by close to 10%.

This result reflects a combination of higher occupancy and improved rates. Occupancy stood 1.5 percentage points above the previous year's figures, occupied rooms increased by 1.9%, and the average room rate (ARR) rose by more than 7.5%. This is a particularly significant development given that it builds on already high occupancy levels.

Food and beverage operations also maintained a positive trend, with revenue close to 5% higher than in the same period in 2025, exceeding the growth in the number of occupied rooms and reflecting a slight upward trend in the value generated around the stay.

Stronger international demand and a traveller willing to enhance their stay

One of the main drivers of the summer has been the international market. Revenue from the United Kingdom and Ireland increased by 20.2%, while the United States and Canada, already the company's third-largest market, grew by 11.7%. Germany, Austria and Switzerland also stood out, with an increase of 10.6%; the Middle East, with growth of close to 16%; Central Europe, with 20.2%; and Eastern Europe, with 17.5%.

This greater share of international demand also coincides with a traveller who is more selective about what they choose to spend their money on. This trend is particularly evident in room selection: revenue associated with upper-tier and premium categories increased by close to 14% compared with 2025, almost twice the growth recorded by standard categories, which rose by around 7.5%. For Suites and Junior Suites, growth stands at approximately 2.6%.

The figures reflect a greater willingness to enhance the experience through features such as more space, better views, equipment or distinctive amenities. Travellers also arrive with a much better understanding of the product they are booking. Photographs, reviews from other guests and digital tools allow them to anticipate much of the experience even before walking through the hotel doors, also raising their expectations of what they will find once they arrive.

These higher expectations also extend to the relationship with the destination. Travellers increasingly want to immerse themselves in local life, learn about the culture, gastronomy and identity of the place they visit, and find experiences that allow them to enjoy it in a more authentic way. In this respect, the hotel takes on a role that goes beyond accommodation and becomes a starting point for discovering the destination.

In line with this, Vincci Hoteles is committed to a distinctive model in which each property has its own personality and establishes a direct relationship with its surroundings and the destination's culture. The company does not seek standardised spaces, but rather hotels that interpret the place in which they are located through their architecture and design, collaboration with leading interior designers and, above all, authentic experiences, gastronomy based on locally sourced ingredients and touches inspired by the destination's culinary offering, all accompanied by a culture of attentive and professional service. The aim is for this identity to extend beyond the building itself and be reflected in the gastronomy, service, experiences and the way guests experience the destination, even without leaving the hotel.

This is complemented by the growth of the direct booking channel, which now accounts for more than 30% of Vincci Hoteles' turnover. This trend points to a customer who compares options, knows the product better and increasingly seeks a direct relationship with the brand, while also allowing the company to gain a deeper understanding of its guests and move towards a more personalised offering.

25 years celebrating tourism

More advance bookings to prepare for the final quarter

The outlook for the end of 2026 continues to reflect this trend. Vincci Hoteles currently has 22.8% more rooms already booked than at the same point last year, while revenue associated with this booking portfolio is growing by close to 36%.

The value of these bookings is also improving: the average price of the current booking portfolio is 6.8% higher than at this point in 2025. September and October are also showing greater booking lead times, providing better visibility for the following months and allowing inventory and pricing management to be progressively optimised.

In terms of occupancy, there is less room for further growth, as the same period last year ended with levels close to 83%. Therefore, expectations for the final quarter focus less on substantially increasing final occupancy and more on reaching similar levels further in advance and at a better average rate, thereby supporting the growth of accommodation revenue.

Group business is also contributing to this trend. Between July and September, revenue from the Groups segment increased by 10% compared with the same period in 2025. Although this category covers different types of business and not exclusively MICE activity, it reflects the strong performance of group business, alongside positive levels of enquiries and bookings for the coming months, particularly in urban destinations.

Continuing to grow in value: the objective for 2027

Looking ahead to the next financial year, Vincci Hoteles identifies continued value growth as one of its main objectives, strengthening revenue quality and each property's ability to offer a more complete and distinctive experience.

The company expects a better-informed, more demanding and more selective traveller to continue to emerge in 2027. Price will remain an important factor in decision-making, but it will go hand in hand with a greater willingness to spend when a clear added value is perceived in the product, service or experience.

The way travellers seek inspiration, search and book will also continue to change. The trip-planning process is increasingly digital, fragmented and personalised, and artificial intelligence is beginning to become a natural part of searching for, comparing and organising holidays. For the hotel sector, this evolution means working with increasingly accurate and consistent information, understanding customers better and making progress in personalisation and direct relationships.

Technology, however, does not replace one of the essential elements of hospitality. Digital tools can make planning easier and help create a stay that is better tailored to each individual, but service, attention and the human touch remain decisive in exceeding expectations that begin to take shape long before guests arrive at the hotel.

Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Vincci Hoteles, this summer's results show the extent to which changes in traveller behaviour are transforming the hotel industry. The challenge is no longer simply to attract more demand, but to better understand what customers value, how they want to interact with the hotel and what they are willing to invest in to make their trip truly distinctive.

The connection with the destination has become an essential part of the experience. For Vincci Hoteles, each property should be an expression of the place where it is located and, at the same time, a gateway to everything that makes it unique. Architecture, design, gastronomy, service and experiences allow guests to begin discovering the destination from within the hotel itself, while the teams provide the knowledge they need to explore it further.

About Vincci Hoteles

Vincci Hoteles is a hotel chain backed by the experience of the Calero family, with more than fifty years of experience in the sector and a portfolio of 41 hotels across Spain, Portugal, Tunisia and Greece. Since its creation in 2001, the company has experienced continuous growth both nationally and internationally in the luxury hotel segment. The chain is committed to a business model based on four- and five-star properties in excellent locations, offering the highest quality of service and ensuring that each project has its own personality. The company equips its hotels with sophisticated and exclusive services designed to meet the specific needs of each guest and turn their stay into a unique and distinctive experience. It also holds ISO 14001 certification, reflecting the integration of quality and environmental management across its hotels. With a clear commitment to design and the use of the most modern management techniques in the hospitality industry, the chain works towards one clear objective: to offer its guests an authentic Vincci experience.

"Come. Be surprised. Discover more than 40 4- and 5-star hotels where every experience is unique. Open your eyes. Look around. Enjoy the most privileged locations. Look. Touch. Feel a design and style that can be appreciated in every detail. Rest. Relax. Let yourself be cared for by a service where you are at the centre. Dream. Smile. Live. You are at a Vincci"

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