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Benidorm's hotels close September above 91% as the whole Costa Blanca keeps climbing
British visitors remain the backbone of the resort's success, with October bookings already looking strong
Hotel occupancy across Alicante province finished September on a genuinely impressive note, with every area tracked improving on last year's figures. Benidorm led the way yet again, closing the month at 91.7%, while the wider Costa Blanca reached 86% and Alicante South climbed to 82%.Across the Valencian Community as a whole, September averaged 89.4%, up 1.4 points on the 88% recorded the previous year. Benidorm's own gain matched that exactly, rising 1.4 points from 90.3% in 2025, with the second half of the month holding steady at 90.8%.
The British market remains firmly at the heart of Benidorm's appeal. UK visitors made up 43.5% of the resort's customers across the month, just ahead of last year's 43.1%, with Spain accounting for 34.8% and Portugal holding a 5% share. That British presence grew even further in the second half of September, reaching 45.8%, while the domestic market settled at 35% during the same period.
Smaller hotels had a particularly good month too. Two star properties saw the biggest jump, reaching 92.9% occupancy, a full 5.3 points higher than last year. Three star hotels weren't far behind at 91.8%, with four star establishments close at 91.7%. The figures come from the Hotel and Tourism Business Association of the Valencian Community, known as HOSBEC, which represents tourist establishments across the region's three provinces.
Beyond Benidorm, the rest of the Costa Blanca also had reason to celebrate. The area closed September at 86%, up from 84.7% the year before, while Alicante South reached 82%, seven tenths of a point ahead of 2025. The improvement was even more noticeable in the second half of the month, with Alicante South jumping 5.5 points to 78.4%, compared to 72.9% last year. The Costa Blanca's own second half figure, 83.9%, stayed roughly level year on year.
Spain remains the dominant market in both these areas, making up 41% of Costa Blanca visitors and 48.6% in Alicante South. The UK comes next in both cases, holding 19.6% and 15.4% of the market respectively.
Looking ahead, October bookings are already shaping up nicely. Benidorm has confirmed 87.1% occupancy for the first half of the month, while the Costa Blanca starts at 79% and Alicante South at 72.9%, suggesting the strong summer momentum is carrying well into autumn.
Image: Miguel Del Cano costa/Pexels
