Hotels on the Costa del Sol anticipate a 73% occupancy rate for Easter, one of the worst in recent years.

Hoteliers are expecting an Easter week with one of the worst occupancy rates in recent years, even lower than in 2024 when rain spoiled the first holiday of the year. The initial report from the Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos) indicates that establishments will fill an average of 73.9% of their rooms from March 27 to April 6. This figure contrasts with the 80.18% recorded last year and the 75.98% in 2024, considered the worst in history due to the prominence of rains that prevented the majority of processions and caused a flood of cancellations by those who planned to enjoy the sun and the beaches.

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Last-minute offers launched due to falling demand and a strong rise in international tourism have partially cushioned the decline in national demand, which was estimated at 20% weeks before the start of this first tourist rush. Now, for the peak demand period from April 2 to 6, hoteliers estimate an occupancy rate of 78.03%, below the 83.22% recorded in 2025 and the 87.81% reached in 2023.

78%

is the expected occupancy on the key days of Easter, from April 2 to 6, which represents a decline from the 83.2% recorded in 2025.

The president of Aehcos, José Luque, explains that "the current situation of the railway connection is clearly conditioning the evolution of bookings, especially in the national market, which plays a decisive role during Easter." He also recalls that "the first holiday in 2025 was affected by episodes of meteorological instability, while the forecasts for this year are more favorable, reinforcing the idea that the current decline in bookings is more related to connectivity issues than to climatic factors that directly affect demand." In this regard, they emphasize that "this drop of between five and seven percentage points compared to last year is directly related to the disconnection of the high-speed railway, which is particularly affecting the national market, traditionally key in these dates, although it is partly being compensated by an increase in international demand."

Regarding the most demanded destinations, they point to Marbella-Benahavís, with forecasts to fill around 86% of the rooms on the key days, as well as Málaga capital and Rincón de la Victoria, which reach 85%. Mijas also shows good levels with 79% and Benalmádena with 74%. Aehcos insists in this first advance of forecasts that "connectivity is a strategic element for the destination" and warns that "situations like the current one have an immediate effect on tourist activity, especially in periods of high demand." In this sense, they assure that they will continue to monitor the evolution of bookings in the coming days, in anticipation of possible last-minute adjustments that may modify the expected occupancy levels.

Regarding the balance of last February, they confirm that it closed below the levels of 2025. Specifically, they point out that it was at 66.51%. "This represents a significant decline compared to the same period last year, when it reached 71.56%, and also below the 70% recorded in 2024," they warn to explain that "these data reflect a downward trend in hotel activity, with a more contained behavior of demand, especially in the national market, which represents 28.64%, compared to 71.36% of the international market, which continues to support occupancy to a greater extent." Hoteliers note a slowdown in demand, especially in the national market, which "is showing a more moderate behavior at the start of this year."