SiteMinder’s World Hotel Index reveals that, for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spain’s two largest cities, Barcelona and Madrid, have seen more hotel bookings than during the same period two years ago, having reached 111.68% and 102.03% of 2019 numbers, respectively, on October 24, 2021.
These figures signal the continued strength of Spanish destinations beyond the coastal locations and beach holidays that travellers have flocked to over the past year. They come as urban attractions reopen throughout the country, including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, theatres, museums and art galleries, as well as widely-attended sporting occasions, trade fairs and conferences.
Both Barcelona and Madrid’s hotel booking momentum compare favourably to those of other iconic European cities such as Paris (93.4% of 2019 numbers), London (91,86%), Berlin (74,28%) and Amsterdam (83.59%).
These positive figures are further indication that Spain is in the fifth and final stage of the ‘hotel booking reset’, a process identified by SiteMinder through which a country’s hotel bookings return to a sense of normalcy. Spain has been a leading driver of this year’s Europe-wide travel recovery, having comfortably outpaced its 2019 hotel booking figures throughout the summer, and is currently at 111.03% of these, compared to a global average of 80.88%. Likewise, international hotel guests have returned with force, having last month overtaken domestic guests for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Hotel commerce technology will help satisfy digitally savvy guests
Sara Padrosa, Country Manager for Spain at SiteMinder, says: “These numbers show the enduring appeal of Spanish destinations across the board, from beachside summer favourites and rural escapes, to the country’s emblematic major cities. However, hoteliers must not become complacent. As shown in SiteMinder’s Changing Traveller Report, the new and evolved ‘dynamic traveller’ has higher standards than before the pandemic, is willing and digitally-empowered to shop around for the best deals, and has become accustomed to a world of 24/7 connectivity and seemingly endless e-commerce opportunities.”
Padrosa concludes: “Particularly at a time of staff shortages, technology is important to minimise the risks of dissatisfied guests, bad word of mouth and negative online reviews. Hotels would benefit from taking advantage of hotel commerce technology, to sell, market, manage and grow their business, while satisfying new guest expectations of a personalised experience. It would also permit them to reap the rewards of the opportunities on offer to monetise every stage of the guest journey, encompassing everything from airport transfers to upselling.”
Media contact
Tim Allen
+44 (0) 2080 498 350 | ext. 1225
media@siteminder.com
About SiteMinder
SiteMinder is the world’s leading open hotel commerce platform, ranked among technology pioneers for opening up every hotel’s access to online commerce. It’s this central role that has earned SiteMinder the trust of tens of thousands of hotels, across 150 countries, to sell, market, manage and grow their business. The global company, headquartered in Sydney with offices in Bangkok, Berlin, Dallas, Galway, London and Manila, generated more than 100 million reservations worth over US$35 billion in revenue for hotels in the last year prior to the start of the pandemic. For more information, visit siteminder.com.