Branded hotels represent 8% of all hotels and 22% of hotel rooms in Greece, with the highest penetration in the luxury, 5-star hotel category, according to GBR Consulting Hospitality in its latest report on the performance of the Greek hotel industry in the 3rd quarter of 2025.
More specifically, 45% of 5-star hotels and 53% of rooms in this category belong to branded hotel chains, whether international, national, or even local. In the 4-star hotel segment, the corresponding percentages are 15% and 27%, while 1-3 star hotels mostly operate independently.
Branded hotel chains are defined as two or more hotels operating under a common commercial name visible to customers. Some companies operate multiple hotels, but if those hotels do not share a common brand name, they are not classified as a branded hotel chain.
Currently, 41 international chains have a presence in Greece, with 399 hospitality units (hotels and non-hotel accommodations) and 37,298 rooms.
Additionally, 59 national chains are active with 351 units and 48,969 rooms, and 64 local chains with 296 units and 29,948 rooms. Some accommodations belong to more than one chain: 802 units belong to chains with a single brand, while 244 units participate in more than one chain.
Among the 5-star hotels, 19% are part of an international chain (representing 18% of the rooms). In the 4-star hotel segment, less than 2% of hotels and hotel rooms belong to international chains.
Several significant developments have occurred in recent years at the brand level.
In April 2023, Hyatt announced the acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith, with the deal set to close in mid-2023. In 2024, Hyatt began to offer the Mr & Mrs Smith hotels through Hyatt.com and World of Hyatt.
Similarly, starting in January 2024, select Small Luxury Hotels (SLH) properties became available for booking through Hilton.com, allowing Hilton Honors members to earn and redeem points.
Additionally, Zeus International announced a strategic branding renewal in February 2025, introducing the Zeus and Zeus Essence brands to its portfolio.
In terms of market share, the largest share of the international hotel chain pie in Greece, based on the number of rooms, is held by Marriott (16%), closely followed by Hyatt (15%), with Hilton (8%) in third place and the Greek Sani/Ikos (7%) in fourth.
New acquisitions and renovations
In October 2025, Premia announced the acquisition of the 5-star Gaia Palace hotel, with 155 rooms, and the adjacent 4-star Gaia Royal, with 286 rooms, located in Mastichari, on the north side of Kos, about 15 minutes from the island’s international airport.
The total investment, including renovation costs, amounts to 73 million euros.
The hotels, which have a total area of 28,000 square meters on a 114,000 square meter plot, will be managed by NLTG (North Leisure Travel Group), a strategic partner of Premia, under a long-term 20-year lease agreement.
The transaction is expected to be completed by 2025, with renovation work scheduled to be finished by May 2027.
Signs of stabilization in Athens hotels, upward trend in Thessaloniki hotels and resorts
After the explosive growth of recent years, this year, Athens hotels show signs of stabilization, with the RevPAR (Revenue per available room) index increasing by 2.3% from the beginning of the year to September 2025, compared to the same period in 2025.
Also, after a strong first quarter, occupancy decreased 1.3% and 1.0% in the second and third quarters, respectively, while the average daily rate (ADR) increased 0.9% and 2.5%, respectively.
In Thessaloniki, hotels recorded high occupancy levels in the first quarter with ADR remaining generally unchanged, while in the second quarter the trend reversed.
In the third quarter, occupancy decreased by 1.3%, while room rates increased by 3.8%.
As for RevPAR, it increased by 6.5% from the beginning of the year to September, compared to the same period last year, mainly due to the higher ADR.
In the resort category, the second quarter saw a 1.6% decrease in occupancy, but revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased by 10% compared to the same quarter last year.
In the third quarter, occupancy rates remained generally stable, while revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased by 8.9%.
Total revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased by 8.2% from the beginning of the year to September, compared to the same period last year.
Overall, the GBR hotel revenue index, which covers revenue of 1.7 billion euros by September 2025, mainly from 3-5 star hotels in cities and tourist resorts, recorded a 7.7% increase from the beginning of the year to September, compared to the same period last year.
