When the Off-Season Gets Expensive: Why Mallorca's Hoteliers Keep Raising Prices

When the Off-Season Gets Expensive: Why Mallorca's Hoteliers Keep Raising Prices

Key question: How justified are the surcharges at a time when locals are suffering from rising living and housing costs?

On Passeig del Born the air in the morning smells of fresh coffee, taxi drivers argue about shift schedules, and at the harbor a new hotel construction repeatedly draws sighs. Into this scene fits a sober figure: the industry reports hotel occupancy of around 85 percent for September and October — one percentage point higher than the previous year. At the same time, revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose to about €118, and the average daily rate (ADR) is just under €140, each up compared with 2024. For spring, forecasts indicate an average overnight price of around €152, again noticeably higher than the previous year.

These numbers come from a market analysis by the Spanish hotel association CEHAT, prepared in cooperation with a major consulting firm. The bottom line: demand is present, flight connections are good, and the macroeconomic environment leaves room for opportunities — so optimism in the sector is growing. For some businesses the simple equation follows: limited supply, stable demand = higher prices, also outside the high season.

A critical reading must, however, ask: who really benefits from these surcharges? In the short term, rising rates fill coffers and apparently ease investment and financing plans for hotel operators. In the long term, however, sustained price increases can endanger the island's image as an attractively priced destination and shift the balance between tourism value creation and residents' quality of life.

What is striking in the public debate is the missing perspective of those who benefit less: seasonal workers, employees in gastronomy and housekeeping, families with low incomes. Industry figures show good occupancy, but not automatically better wages or affordable housing. CEHAT itself points out that scarce housing makes staff recruitment more difficult and therefore calls for stronger engagement in building affordable homes. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how price increases in the hotel sector should concretely translate into better working conditions.

Another shortcoming: the analysis focuses on aggregated indicators — occupancy, average prices, booking pace — but says little about regional distortions. On the island we see demand peaks in Palma and in certain coastal resorts, while smaller municipalities live a different reality. Differentiated monitoring would help: local occupancy data, average employment durations, share of fixed-term contracts and actual wages paid.

So what to do? Concrete proposals, not wishful thinking but pragmatic measures:

1) Promote price transparency: An open dashboard with ADR and occupancy data by municipality would make market shifts visible and create pressure for fair practices.

2) Use the tourism levy in a targeted way: If the eco-tax is actually collected, revenues should be earmarked for affordable housing and training — not disappear into the general budget.

3) Promote staff housing: Municipalities could offer lease models for hotel employees, provide vacant land under favorable conditions, or create tax incentives for hotels to build staff accommodation.

4) Dampen seasonality: Promote town twinning, conferences and off-season events, and coordinate flight incentives for quieter months — this smooths demand and reduces the justification for steep price surcharges.

5) Industry code of conduct for pricing: A voluntary commitment that limits excessive surcharges in the off-season and focuses on incentives for longer stays could serve the island's image.

On the street you can feel the consequences: a cleaner in Palma who takes the tram early in the morning talks of rising rents; a taxi driver calculates whether he will meet fewer budget-conscious tourists in the future. These are not abstract figures — this is everyday life on the island.

In the end the question must be allowed: can an island at the same time permit price adjustments at the top of the market and preserve social cohesion? The industry's figures currently give hoteliers cover. But profitability metrics alone are no substitute for a policy that integrates housing, working conditions and tourism diversity.

Conclusion: Solid occupancy and price indicators explain the current behavior of many hotels — they do not justify it unconditionally. Those who make the off-season more expensive should also ensure that the benefits of price developments reach not only balance sheets but everyday life on the island.