Accommodation prices in Bucharest have reached the level of Vienna, although tourism is stagnant

The accommodation rates in Bucharest are almost those practiced in the capitals such as Vienna, following the increases that aligned the prices with consecrated markets from Central and Eastern Europe. This, although the number of nights spent in hotels remained almost constant, shows a recent study.

Accommodation prices in Bucharest have reached near the level of Vienna

The hospitality industry in Romania recorded in the first semester of 2025 a 19%increase in turnover, the third largest advance in the European Union, after Greece (35%) and Hungary (22%), according to Eurostat data. The increase of the tariffs for accommodation led to their alignment with markets established in the EEC region, such as Poland or the Czech Republic, even though the number of nights spent in hotels almost stagnated, with an advance below 4%, Eurostat data shows.

In parallel, Romania has attracted only 2.2 million nights of foreign tourists, compared to 7.2 million in Poland and 6.1 million in Hungary, but the market is preparing for at least 15 new hotel inaugurations by 2027.

On the operational performance side, the occupancy rate in Romania increased by 4 percentage points, reaching 65%, a level aligned with the average of the states of Central and Eastern Europe, which recorded in the first half of the year, according to the data offered by the STR, the largest growth in Europe, along with the Nordic countries. For comparison, in the west of the continent, the advance was below 2%, and in France and the United Kingdom there were even decreases, due to the lack of major events in 2025, after last year the performance of hotels was supported by the Champions League, the Eras tournament in the UK and Ireland, respectively the UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany.

78 euros, the average accommodation price in Bucharest

At the same time, the average daily tariffs (ADR) have increased by 8% in the last year, an evolution comparable to Poland and the Czech Republic, where the levels are between 55 and 65 euros. In Bucharest, the available room income reached 78 euros, close to the one in Warsaw and Prague, which is around 80 euros, and only 10% away from Vienna, which confirms the alignment of the capital on major regional markets.

However, the strong growth of the industry raises question marks on sustainability. According to Colliers consultants, the advance was primarily supported by increases, not a larger number of tourists, and the economic context – marked by inflation and the new taxes of 2025 – could brake consumption. The Romanians have so far managed to cope with the higher expenses using the reserves accumulated in the last 15 years, but the confidence of consumers has decreased visibly in the last quarters, reaching levels similar to those in the 2009 – 2010 recession.

“Compared to 2019, the net turnover of all operators in the Romanian hospitality area is over 80% higher, an advance more than twice as high as the average of the European Union, where the growth was only 34%, according to Eurostat data. Romanians continued to travel and accept higher rates, and Bucharest has reached prices per room comparable with various regional capitals, from Vienna to Warsaw and Prague. This evolution has argued that the period 2023-2025 will be a very good one for hoteliers, but the increase of tariffs in the future will not be able to rely only on inflation, but on the diversification of services, innovation and the use of AI technology. The efficiency of the costs, but also the quality of the hotel services will be the key in the next period, which is more difficult for the hospitality industry. In order to maintain the rhythm, Romania needs to attract more foreign tourists and provide various reasons for visiting. Potential exists, but success depends on investments and a long -term strategy”Explains Raluca Buciuc, director, Partner of Valuation360 and Advisory Services in Colliers.

At least 15 new hotels will be inaugurated in Romania by 2027

Romania still has a gap to the neighboring markets in terms of attracting foreign tourists. In the last decade, the number of nights spent by international visitors has increased by only 23%, while Poland advanced by 44%, and Hungary by 26%.

The difference shows a significant potential for the development of tourism for international visitors and for the balance of the market, currently dominated by internal travelers. In 2025, only 22% of the nights spent in the hotels in Romania belonged to foreign tourists, the second smallest share in the European Union.

In order to balance the development and reduce the gap to other markets, the local market enters a new growth stage. After in 2024, a single major International Hotel – Ramada by Wyndham in Otopeni was inaugurated, with over 110 rooms, between 2025 and 2027 at least 15 openings are announced. These include Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard, which inaugurated a hotel of about 30 rooms, marking the entrance of the Corinthia brand on the local market. Also, Bucharest Unirii Square – Handwritten Collection by Accor added 90 rooms in the Bucharest market in the spring of this year and is the first hotel in this collection in Romania. The investments come in the context in which the degree of occupancy of the hotels in Bucharest is comparable to the peaks registered after 2000, and the first half of 2025 already represents the best first semester of the last decade, since I am publishes statistics at county level.