Romania's hotel industry posts third-highest EU growth

Business Forum
Romania's hospitality industry recorded a 19% increase in turnover in the first half of 2025, the third largest advance in the European Union after Greece (35%) and Hungary (22%), according to Eurostat data cited by Colliers. Rising room rates have pushed local pricing into line with established CEE markets such as Poland and the Czech Republic, even though the number of overnight stays in hotels almost stagnated, with an increase of less than 4%.

Romania attracted just 2.2 million overnight stays by foreign tourists, compared with 7.2 million in Poland and 6.1 million in Hungary, though the market is preparing for at least 15 new hotel openings by 2027. Occupancy in Romania rose by 4 percentage points to 65%, in line with the average across Central and Eastern European countries. Average daily rates also increased by 8% in the last year, comparable to Poland and the Czech Republic, where levels range between €55 and €65.

In Bucharest, revenue per available room reached €78, similar to Warsaw and Prague at around €80, and just 10% below Vienna. The industry's rapid growth raises questions about sustainability, as the advance has been driven primarily by price increases rather than higher tourist numbers. "Compared with 2019, the net turnover of all operators in Romania's hospitality sector is over 80% higher – more than twice the EU average growth of just 34%," says Raluca Buciuc, Director, Partner of Valuation360 and Advisory Services at Colliers.

Romania still lags behind neighbouring markets in attracting foreign visitors. Over the past decade, the number of overnight stays by international tourists has increased by just 23%, compared with 44% in Poland and 26% in Hungary. In 2025, only 22% of overnight stays in Romanian hotels were by foreign visitors - the second lowest share in the European Union.

After only one major international opening in 2024 - the Ramada by Wyndham in Otopeni with more than 110 rooms, at least 15 new hotels are scheduled between 2025 and 2027. These include the Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard, which opened this year with approximately 30 rooms, and the Bucharest Unirii Square - Handwritten Collection by Accor, which added 90 rooms to the Bucharest market.

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