Hotel bosses in Spain fear a high summer of holiday overbookings because of a huge surge of reservations in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. Many are still in the dark if they will be able to provide accommodation for all guests - with the uncertainty blamed on regulations introduced to handle the coronavirus crisis.
Booking get-out clauses brought in during the pandemic continue to apply - so there is no penalty or charge imposed on guests who choose not to take up reservations. Rooms that have not been reserved directly are usually sold by online booking platforms.
So there is the potential risk of overbooking, if initial unconfirmed reservations are eventually fulfilled with some resorts already bursting at the seams.
Hoteliers claim it is difficult maintain accurate occupancy levels owing to the uncertainty created by the pandemic rule changes and the trend towards last-minute bookings. If holidaymakers cannot be accommodated in hotels that they have booked, there is an obligation to offer alternatives of the same standard.
Average occupancy levels are at present said to be around 95 per cent, leaving little room for manoeuvre to cope with extra bookings. A spokesperson for Spanish hoteliers told the Ultima Hora newspaper: "Until the last moment we do not know if the reservations made are going to be fulfilled, mainly because in the pandemic customers do not have to pay any type of penalty if in the end they do not choose to come.
“It is impossible to operate in this situation plagued by uncertainties and we have to face this overselling of reserves."
The Habtur tourist rental association in Majorca stated occupancy was at its limits during peak summer months because of soaring demand.
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