Independent hotels in Europe adapt to shifting guest behavior

Longer stays, earlier bookings, and stronger upsell revenue help offset rate pressures

Europe’s independent hotels saw robust demand in summer 2025, with earlier bookings, longer stays in southern markets, and rising ancillary revenue helping balance out growing pricing pressures. Data from RoomRaccoon’s summer performance report highlights how guest behavior is changing and what hoteliers can do to stay competitive.

Key takeaways

• Peak revenue patterns: August remained the strongest month in most markets, though Spain peaked earlier in June.
• Earlier booking lead times: Guests booked on average 53 days in advance, up from 42, giving hotels more visibility for pricing strategies.
• Diverging travel habits: Southern Europe leaned toward longer summer holidays, while Northern Europe remained dominated by short breaks.
• Direct channels hold ground: Direct bookings ranked #1 in Belgium and the UK and are now on par with Booking.com in the Netherlands and Germany.
• Metasearch on the rise: Google Hotel Ads entered the top five booking channels, showing the growing weight of performance marketing.
• Upsell revenue matters more: Add-ons like breakfast, parking, and late check-out grew as a share of revenue, especially when pre-bookable during reservation.
• Pricing pressure challenge: Despite strong demand, falling room rates highlight the need for smarter revenue management and AI-driven pricing tools.

Get the full story at RoomRaccoon