England Hotel Occupancy: July 2026
At a glance
- July 2026 occupancy fell to 86%, down 1.4pp year-on-year, driven by 1.4% demand decline despite flat supply.
- RevPAR for England grew 3% to £170 in July, lifted by 5% ADR increase to £198 despite softer occupancy.
- Year-to-date occupancy (Jan–July) held steady at 78%, matching 2025 performance over the same period.
- East Midlands and West Midlands recorded largest regional declines: −4.5pp and −3.2pp respectively versus July 2025.
- All hotel size categories saw lower July occupancy; mid-sized and 200+ room hotels tied for highest at 87%.
What the report covers
VisitBritain's monthly occupancy survey measures bedroom occupancy across England's serviced accommodation sector, primarily hotels with small serviced apartment and guesthouse components. The report provides national and regional metrics including occupancy rates, RevPAR and average daily rates. Data collection switched to Amadeus in May 2024; this July 2026 release reflects current panel methodology and year-on-year comparison against July 2025, designated as official statistics.
Key findings
Hotel occupancy in England declined month-on-month in July 2026. The survey reports occupancy fell 1.4 percentage points to 86% versus July 2025. Supply remained broadly stable, increasing only 0.2%, indicating the decline was demand-driven rather than structural oversupply. However, year-to-date occupancy for January–July 2026 remained stable at 78%, matching the equivalent 2025 period, suggesting modest seasonal volatility rather than sustained weakness.
Revenue metrics showed divergence across markets. England-wide RevPAR grew 3% to £170 in July, supported by a 5% increase in average daily rate to £198, demonstrating pricing power despite occupancy softness. Conversely, RevPAR excluding London fell 0.7% to £96, with occupancy declining 1.3 percentage points to 84%, offsetting a modest 0.9% ADR rise to £113. This signals London's continued outperformance versus regional markets.
Regional performance was uneven. The North East was the only region recording stable occupancy versus July 2025. All other regions contracted, with East Midlands and West Midlands experiencing the steepest declines at 4.5 and 3.2 percentage points respectively. This geographic fragmentation indicates demand pressures were concentrated outside the strongest regional markets rather than economy-wide.
Hotel size saw consistent but varied occupancy pressure. All size categories recorded lower occupancy in July 2026 than July 2025. Declines were comparable across small and large hotels at 1.8 percentage points. Mid-sized and large properties with 200+ rooms both achieved the highest occupancy rates at 87%, suggesting larger, better-resourced properties maintained resilience relative to smaller stock.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Hotel room occupancy | 86% |
| Occupancy year-to-date | 78% |
| Demand change | −1.4% |
| Supply change | +0.2% |
| RevPAR England | £170 |
| Average Daily Rate England | £198 |
| RevPAR England excl. London | £96 |
| Occupancy East Midlands | −4.5pp |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
Uneven regional declines signal demand volatility outside London. East Midlands and West Midlands face headwinds; North East stability offers a template for resilience. DMOs should assess whether July's 1.4pp occupancy fall reflects temporary seasonal fluctuation or structural softness, especially given stable year-to-date performance and forward bookings on par with 2025.
Hotels & hospitality
Occupancy pressure coexists with pricing strength: England-wide ADR rose 5% despite occupancy decline, sustaining 3% RevPAR growth. Larger properties with 200+ rooms outperformed peers, suggesting scale and operational efficiency matter. Pressure in regional markets outside London indicates segmentation in demand recovery; smaller operators should monitor ADR elasticity and supply-side competition.
Travel tech & distribution
Demand erosion of 1.4% in July contrasts with flat supply, creating inventory mismatch. Forward bookings as of 9 August remain on par with 2025, implying bookable inventory may yet tighten late-season. Distribution platforms should track regional volatility—particularly East and West Midlands weakness—to optimise pricing signals and capacity routing across markets.
Methodology and limits
The England Occupancy Survey measures bedroom occupancy monthly across serviced accommodation, predominantly hotels with minor serviced apartments and guesthouses. From May 2024, data supplier Amadeus provides figures from a constantly growing panel of UK hotels; earlier data from STR (June 2017–April 2024) is included for year-on-year trend comparison. Historical data displayed post-May 2024 differs from earlier reports due to the supplier change. The survey is designated official statistics under the UK Code of Practice for Official Statistics (2022). This brief summarises the public-facing summary; the full July 2026 report PDF is available from VisitBritain.org.
Official source
The report is © VisitBritain. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
Check the official statistics on Pulse
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