Tourism

Costa del Sol hotels set to reach occupancy rate of nearly 90% this September

Hotel industry association Aehcos has reported that August was better than in 2025, with nearly 93% of rooms occupied in the province

Málaga

01/09/2026 a las 12:51h.

August has exceeded the expectations of hoteliers in the Costa del Sol, who have revised the latest forecasts for September upwards.

The Malaga hotel trade ... association has reported that establishments in the province will reach an occupancy rate of nearly 90% this month, consolidating September as a key month.

The Aehcos Costa del Sol hoteliers' association has also taken stock of August, which saw nearly 93% of rooms occupied, slightly higher than in the same period in 2025.

"August has once again delivered a positive result for the province's hotel sector, with an occupancy rate of 92.85%, slightly higher than that recorded last year," Aehcos president José Luque stated.

Luque explained that these figures are "a sign of the Costa del Sol's strength and appeal during the high season". However, he warned of the need to remain vigilant regarding the trend in demand over the coming months, "especially given that the forecasts for September are lower than those a year ago".

For September, Aehcos has lowered its occupancy forecast to 88.58%, compared with the estimates for the same period in 2025, which stood at 87.65%. Hoteliers believe that last-minute bookings will be crucial.

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"We will have to keep a very close eye on demand trends and last-minute bookings. Although we are starting from a forecast of close to 90% occupancy, the comparison with the previous year reflects a certain moderation," Luque said.

He identifies as a challenge "maintaining the destination's dynamism once the peak tourist season is over and working towards promoting balanced demand throughout the year".

Data from Aehcos ranks Torremolinos as the municipality with the highest hotel occupancy rate, with an expected occupancy rate of 93%, followed by Malaga city, with 91.2%; Benalmádena, at 89.56%; Marbella, at 89.24%; and Fuengirola, at 87.6%. For October, forecasts suggest that occupancy will remain high, at around 84%.

As for the figures for August, the municipalities with the highest occupancy rates were Benalmádena, at 96.2%; Torremolinos, at 95.5%; Fuengirola, at 93.5%; and Mijas, at 94.4%. Also worth noting are Malaga city, which recorded an occupancy rate of 93.5%, and Marbella, at 92.4%.

Aehcos highlights the growth and dynamism of international tourism, which in August accounted for 60.5% of all visitors of the province.

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