Record-breaking Marbella

According to the National Statistics Institute, Marbella is bursting into 2025, with a historic landmark. The city recorded its highest hotel occupancy rate ever in February at 61.10 percent.

This figure is a huge leap over the 52.02 percent of last year and beats even the 56.20 percent in 2020 before the pandemic disrupted travel around the world. This is a good sign for the Easter holidays which will be the largest ever in the history of the Costa del Sol.

Laura de Arce – the city’s Tourism Director – hailed the results of the sector as a sign of its robust recovery. ‘February’s data reflects a solid rebound and a very encouraging start to the year for Marbella,’ she said. The city received 40,220 visitors, which amounted to 103,218 nights. 17004 of these were Spanish tourists, who accounted for 25,163 overnight stays. Meanwhile, 23,216 foreign guests racked in 78,055 nights.

Economic impact is also striking. Average room rates rose to €149.09, up from €144.98 in 2024 and a dramatic increase from €88.86 in 2020. Revenue per occupied room also soared to an average of €93.41, compared to €71.43 in 2024 and €52.52 in 2020. De Arce said that early 2020 was promising, but the pandemic derailed progress. However, 2025’s start to the year suggests Marbella could outshine even those pre-crisis highs.

The tourism sector also showed a better employment rate, with 2,781 people hired in February compared to 2,513 workers in 2024. This suggests a good buildup for the peak season. ‘The recovery is remarkable, and these first two months confirm very positive expectations for the high season,’ De Arce concluded. Marbella’s booming economy heralds record-breaking Easter periods across the Costa del Sol.