The city of Malaga, one of the major hubs for tourists entering Spain, has closed the first half of the year with an increase of almost 10.5 percent in hotel occupancy rates reaching an overall total of 51.5% for the period. This means that more than 376,000 guests stayed in hotels in Malaga from January to June this year, 6.5% more than in the same period in 2009.

This increase in the number of guests staying in hotels in Malaga means the city has now become the most popular of the traditional city destinations in Andalusia and in fact, in the period examined, experienced the third-highest growth in occupancy rates in all of Spain, after Zaragoza and Barcelona. These two cities experienced growth in occupancy rates of 16.5% and 16% respectively.

The Councillor for Tourism and Sport in this part of Spain, Elijah Bendodo, stated that it was “very significant that only a difference of 1,000 guests now separate us from the number of overnight stays registered in the first half of 2008. This is very important when we take into account that 2008 was the best year of the decade for hotels in Malaga”. He added that “the  the current economic situation forces us to be cautious with our expectations, but preliminary indications suggest that by the…Click to read more about Malaga Hotels

The prices of Malaga hotels have gone up six percent in July in relation to June this year, while in some other cities in Spain hotel rates have gone down. For example, the average price of an overnight stay in Seville has dropped by some 21% and in Granada the average rate has gone down by around 19%.

According to a report which carries out monthly price comparisons of hotel rates in Spain, the average price for a hotel in Malaga is 85€, in Seville 73€ and just 66€ in Granada. One of the cheapest destinations in the south of Spain is Cordoba, where accommodation is available for approximately 62 € per night.

In Spain the average hotel rate in July is around 95€, which represents an increase of some four percent over June when the average rate was 91€, and 10 percent more than in May when rooms in Spain could be booked for an average of 86€ per night.

In relation to other cities in Spain the average price for accommodation in Madrid this month is 96€, while the same establishments had rooms available in July 2009 for an average price of 87€.  Barcelona hotels have also increased their prices reaching an average of 136€. In Palma de Mallorca average hotel rates went up by just 1€…Click to read more about Malaga Hotels

Ten years ago Málaga was not an important tourist destination in Spain and there were very few four and five star hotels.  This situation, however, has changed dramatically and the Councillor for Tourism, Elias Bendodo, pointed out that “tourism is now the main economic engine of the capital, last year 3 million visitors arrived in Málaga and spent 560 million€”.

Many new hotels in Malaga have opened their doors in recent years, mainly four star, and the port is becoming an almost obligatory stop for cruises on the Mediterranean and the coast of Spain. According to research carried out by the Council and the University of Málaga (UMA) last year 2.98 million tourists visited Málaga and spent 564.6 million€.

In this report the Council and UMA distinguish between two types of visitors. On the one hand, would be the “real” tourists, i.e. those who stay at elat one night in hotels in the capital, and secondly, the tourists who visit the capital during the day but do not book any hotel stay because they have accomodation somewhere else or tehy came on a cruise ship. The real tourists who spend at least one night in a hotel represent some 45% of the total and most of them are foreigners: three out of every…Click to read more about Malaga Hotels

Hotels Spain is pleased to report that Fuerte Hotels has launched a new programme called Fuerte Destinations Vacation Club. This new travel program is an innovative, flexible formula that allows hotel guests to choose and change the time, duration and type of holiday each year.  The hotel group from Málaga is offering the possibility to book holidays at today’s rates for the next 30 years with the comfort of knowing that Fuerte Hotels guarantees the highest quality of the chosen destination be that in Spain or other destinations worldwide.

With the new Fuerte Destinations Vacation Club program guests will be able to reserve 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments in the resorts of Fuerte Rompido Suites in Huelva, and Fuerte Estepona Suites in Málaga, although they will also have the possibility of booking any of the other six complexes that the group has all over Spain.  The holiday programme will also offer guests the option of choosing any of the eight hotels run by Fuerte Hotels in Spain and in addition they will also have the opportunity to access more than 4,500 resorts in over 100 countries. With this system guests will be provided with a wide selection of  family holidays abroad, relaxing days at spas or even go on a cruise. All options ensure a choice…Click to read more about Malaga Hotels

From 1st July VAT in Spain will be increased by 1% for hotel stays.  However, most hotels in the Costa del Sol area have agreed not pass this increase in their prices on to guests and they will keep their normal rates during the summer.

The hotel sector has taken into account the current difficult financial circumstances which are affecting everybody and decided to “lose” 1% of their profits from July onwards.  The other reason which made them reach the agreement is because hotels in Spain normally sell their package holidays to the tour operators at least one year in advance and the agreed prices normally include all taxes. So, the hotels will have to wait another year to change their rates and inluce the new VAT rate.

For tourists who book accommodation directly with hotels in Malaga the situation will be the same and there will be no change in the rates they will pay this summer.

According to Miguel Bordera, area manager of the MedPlaya hotel chain, which own the Pez Espada hotel in Torremolinos and Bali Riviera in Benalmadena, “There has been no formal meeting between the hotel managers but we all felt the same with regard to the current situation and agreed not to raise prices.   The economic crisis is here and we can not ignore it, the Government in…Click to read more about Malaga Hotels

The 5 star golf resort Hotel La Quinta in Marbella has been handed over to the management of the Meliá group with the aim of promoting family tourism and golf holidays.  The hotel is located in a priviledged position with fantastic views of the Mediterranean coast and only 5 minutes from Puerto Banus and 15 minutes from  Marbella.

 Malaga hotels  are being affected by the economic crisis and have also been hurt by the Icelandic volcano which has caused lots of cancellations in their establishments. 

Several airports in Spain including Malaga were closed last week for a few hours which resulted in 50 percent of all reservations being cancelled.  Some hotels were expecting 200 guests and received only 100.  However, all the hotels in Malaga are hoping to increase occupancy rates during the summer as this is normally their best season.

There are 172 rooms in hotel La Quinta with 52 Premium rooms, 3 Junior suites, 2 Executive rooms and 1 Presidential suite.  Some of the rooms offer exceptional views of the swimming pools, the golf course and the Mediterranean Sea.

Guests can also enjoy 2 outdoor pools, 1 outdoor pool for children, 2 paddle courts, a spa, several bars and 3 restaurants with different types of food.  One of the main attractions of this establishment is the Yhi Spa with over 1,500 square feet dedicated to…Click to read more about Malaga Hotels

Hotels Spain is pleased to report that Vincci Hotels has inaugurated the new Hotel Vincci Posada del Patio, which is Malaga’s first five star establishment and the second hotel that the group now operates in the Malaga area, the other being the appropriately-named four star Vincci Malaga.

The hotel, although operated and marketed by Vincci hotels, is property of  Sanjose Inmobiliaria,who have invested some 22 million euro in the construction of the hotel. The Vinnci Posada del Patio has 103 rooms, of which 86 are doubles, 11 junior suites and 6 suites. All the rooms have satellite TVs with flat screen monitors, ADSL Internet connection, mini-bar, safe, luxurious bathroom and independent air conditioning.

The hotel also has an a la carte restaurant called The Baraka and a bar and café called The Wall, four meeting rooms, a library, a hair-dressers and a swimming pool on the top floor.

The new establishment was built on the location of two existing old buildings, one a nineteenth century apartment block and the other one of the last remaining “posadas” (inns) in Malaga. The constructors retained the old original patio (yard) from which the new hotel now takes its name and an old porch which used to be the entrance to these buildings from Camas street. The hotel is…Click to read more about Malaga Hotels