New data from SiteMinder, the world’s leading hotel commerce platform, reveals strong hotel demand within Europe where a total solar eclipse is set to pass this August. In Spain, bookings for the days leading up to the August 12 phenomenon have risen by as much as 76% year-over-year and prices by as much as 85% year-over-year in some of the destinations best placed for viewing the event.
SiteMinder’s analysis compares booked stays from 10 to 12 August 2026 with the corresponding period last year. Spanish regions where hotel demand is set to be highest include:
- Asturias, one of the premier viewing destinations, where forward bookings and average daily rates are up 76% and 85%, respectively, compared with last year.
- A Coruña, where forward bookings and average daily rates are up 65% and 41%, respectively, compared with last year.
- Palma, where forward bookings and average daily rates are up 75% and 24%, respectively, compared with last year. While Valencia is also recording a 75% year-on-year rise in bookings, price increases are moderate at 6%.
Earlier bookings and shorter stays
Beyond the surge in demand, SiteMinder’s data signals a broader shift in travel behaviour, with hotel guests booking much earlier and opting for shorter stays to secure the best value out of their accommodation. Asturias again leads this trend, with the average booking lead time increasing 77%, from 121 days in 2025 to 215 days this year. City stays have also been secured earlier. Compared with last year, the booking lead time is up 52% in Valencia, 50% in Bilbao and 41% in Palma. Among the provinces, A Coruña and Tarragona are recording a respective 42% and 29% year-on-year growth in booking lead time.
At the same time, length of stay is set to shorten in almost all destinations, reinforcing the concentration of travel around the event. Asturias is set to see the sharpest decline, with the average length of stay down 36% year-on-year during the analysed period.
One hotel group that is experiencing these major shifts in demand is Attica21.
Says Attica21’s operations director, Bruno García Monteagudo, “Although August is already a month of very high occupancy in our hotels in Galicia, including A Coruña and Vilalba, the eclipse is still having a positive impact on demand. We are seeing bookings made much earlier, an increase of more than 50% in average price, and a more international guest profile, particularly from the United States and the United Kingdom. Above all, the eclipse is helping to attract higher-value customers to our hotels.”
“The eclipse is acting as a real accelerator of tourism demand across different destinations in Spain. Beyond the immediate impact on occupancy and rates, we are seeing how major events continue to have the power to stimulate demand, bring forward booking decisions and create highly valuable opportunities for hotels across the country. Hotels using the latest distribution and revenue optimisation tools are best positioned to capitalise on the demand,” says Tamara Jiménez, SiteMinder’s Director for Spain.
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About SiteMinder
SiteMinder Limited (ASX:SDR) is the name behind SiteMinder, the world’s leading hotel commerce platform, and Little Hotelier, an all-in-one hotel management software that makes the lives of small accommodation providers easier. The global company is headquartered in Sydney with offices in Bangkok, Barcelona, Berlin, Dallas, Galway, London, Manila, Mexico City and Pune. Through its technology and the largest partner ecosystem in the global hotel industry, SiteMinder generates more than 135 million reservations worth over A$85 billion in revenue for its hotel customers each year. For more information, visit siteminder.com.
