In January, hotels across Poland reported a notable decrease in occupancy rates, as indicated by a recent survey from the Polish Chamber of Commerce for Hospitality. The survey revealed that 29% of respondents had an occupancy rate below 30%, while only 28% reported occupancy rates exceeding 50%. The majority (44%) of hotels fell within the occupancy range of 31-50%. This trend highlights a concerning start for the hospitality sector, despite the expected boost from the winter holiday season.

Business hotels particularly struggled, with only 31% achieving occupancy rates above 50%. Meanwhile, a significant 29% of these establishments reported occupancy rates below 30%. The middle group, with rates between 31-50%, made up 40% of business hotels surveyed. On the other hand, resorts fared no better, with only a quarter of them achieving occupancy rates above 50%, while 28% had less than 30% occupancy. Nearly half (48%) of the resort hotels were grouped within the 31-50% range, indicating a prevailing mediocrity in performance across diverse hotel types.

The survey further indicated that, compared to the previous year, 37% of hotels reported improved occupancy, suggesting that while some establishments are beginning to recover, the overall market conditions remain challenging. The winter holidays, which often provide a crucial revenue boost for the hospitality sector, failed to mitigate the downturn, raising concerns for industry stakeholders about the effectiveness of current strategies and the need for adaptation to changing market conditions.