Independent hotels in the UK earn big on early check-ins and late check-outs this summer

(1 October 2025) – RoomRaccoon, the leading hotel management system for independent hotels, today published its European Hotel Performance Report – Summer 2025, a deep dive into how travellers shaped hotel performance across six key markets this summer. 

Drawing on data from more than 600,000 bookings from 2000 independent hotels in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, and Portugal from June to August, the report uncovers year-on-year shifts in booking behaviour, occupancy, rates, channel mix, and add-on revenue, offering a clear lens into the changing dynamics of Europe’s travel scene.

In the UK, hotels maintained occupancy rates of around 66% in 2025, broadly in line with the previous year. While ADR softened slightly, hoteliers are finding smarter ways to offset revenue gaps.

Ancillary revenue proved a winning strategy, with late check-outs and early check-ins generating more than £900K alone. Guests also indulged in luxuries, from champagne sales topping £370K to luxury hampers adding over £270K. Yet, the nearly 9,000 gluten-free meal requests left unmet highlight a clear missed opportunity for monetisation.

Other findings include: 

• Direct bookings take the lead in the UK: Unlike most European markets where Booking.com dominates, the UK is one of only two countries where direct bookings overtook OTAs in 2025, cementing hoteliers’ ability to drive guest loyalty and retain revenue. Direct bookings accounted for the largest market share, with Booking.com in second place.
• Guests are booking much earlier: In 2025, the average booking period was 70 days in advance, which is 27 days earlier than in 2024. This trend provides hoteliers with greater visibility of demand, allowing them to plan staffing more effectively and more effectively target their marketing efforts.
• Summer peaks in July: While most European markets peaked in August, UK hotels experienced their highest occupancy rate (68%) and revenue per available room (RevPAR) in July (£96), highlighting a different seasonal trend.
• Short stays dominate: Like much of Northern Europe, the UK is short-stay heavy, with 88% of trips lasting just 1 or 2 nights. This trend challenges hoteliers to maximise per-guest spend during shorter stays through food and beverage, spa packages, parking, and room upgrade offers.

Commenting on the data, Tymen van Dyl, the CEO and Founder at RoomRaccoon, said: “Travellers to the UK are booking earlier, favouring direct channels, and happy to pay for little luxuries that make a short break feel special. For independent hoteliers, this is a moment to capture loyalty, maximise per-guest spend, and ensure no upsell opportunity goes to waste.”

For a deeper dive into the data and market-specific insights, read the full European Hotel Performance Report – Summer 2025 from RoomRaccoon. 

About RoomRaccoon

RoomRaccoon is the hotel management system built to make independent hoteliers more – more bookings, more revenue, more efficient. Trusted by thousands of properties worldwide, our award-winning platform brings together property management, channel management, and conversion-focused booking and payment tools in one intuitive system. With hands-on support, 300+ integrations, and powerful native features like AI-powered pricing, automated upselling, and housekeeping management, RoomRaccoon gives ambitious hoteliers everything they need to scale smarter, faster, and with confidence.