Romania's hotel sector recorded a 19% turnover increase in the first half of 2025, the third-largest gain in the European Union after Greece at 35% and Hungary at 22%, according to Eurostat data cited by Colliers.

Is growth coming from prices or from volume?

The advance has been driven almost entirely by rate increases. Overnight stays in Romanian hotels grew by less than 4% year-on-year, while average daily rates rose 8%, a pace comparable with Poland and the Czech Republic, where levels sit between €55 and €65. Foreign arrivals remain thin: Romania logged just 2.2 million overnight stays by international tourists, against 7.2 million in Poland and 6.1 million in Hungary.

How do Romanian KPIs compare with regional peers?

Occupancy climbed 4 percentage points to 65%, in line with the Central and Eastern European average and matching the strongest growth band in Europe alongside the Nordic states. Western Europe posted gains below 2%, with France and the UK recording outright declines linked to the absence of major events that lifted 2024, including the UEFA Champions League final in London, the Eras Tour in the UK and Ireland, and UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany.

In Bucharest, revenue per available room reached €78 in the first half, on par with Warsaw and Prague at roughly €80 and within 10% of Vienna. Local pricing has now converged with established CEE capitals. The first half of 2025 is the strongest opening semester in at least a decade of National Institute of Statistics county-level data.

Can the run continue?

Colliers consultants warn that future rate gains cannot rely on inflation alone. New taxes introduced in 2025 and persistent price pressures have eroded consumer confidence, which now matches levels recorded during the 2009-2010 recession. Romanians have absorbed higher costs by drawing on savings accumulated over the past 15 years, a buffer that is now narrowing.

"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%, according to Eurostat data," Raluca Buciuc, Director, Partner of Valuation360 and Advisory Services at Colliers, told Eurotables Report. "Future rate increases cannot rely solely on inflation; they will need to stem from service diversification, innovation, and the use of AI technology. Driving cost efficiencies while maintaining hotel service quality will be key in the period ahead, which is expected to be more challenging for the hospitality industry."

What is in the development pipeline?

The market is preparing for at least 15 new hotel openings between 2025 and 2027. The schedule includes:

• Corinthia Grand Hotel du Boulevard, opened in 2025 with approximately 30 rooms, marking the brand's Romanian debut.
• Bucharest Unirii Square – Handwritten Collection by Accor, which added 90 rooms in spring 2025 as the first Handwritten Collection property in Romania.
• Ramada by Wyndham Otopeni, the only major international opening of 2024, with more than 110 rooms.

Bucharast occupancy now sits near post-2000 highs, supporting underwriting for new builds despite weaker macro signals.

Will inbound tourism close the gap?

Foreign overnight stays in Romania totalled just 22% of the national total in 2025, the second-lowest share in the EU. Over the past decade, international overnights grew 23%, versus 44% in Poland and 26% in Hungary. Closing that gap is now the central question for operators.

Buciuc framed the opportunity bluntly: "To sustain momentum, Romania must attract more foreign tourists and provide a broader range of reasons to visit. The potential is there, but success depends on investment and on a long-term strategy." Next steps to watch include the 2026 occupancy prints for the new Corinthia and Accor properties, any further tax adjustments in the 2026 budget cycle, and the commissioning of the remaining 13-plus pipeline hotels by end-2027.