The latest assessment from In Extenso Tourisme, Culture & Hôtellerie, dedicated to the summer season of 2026, confirms a moderate uptick in the activity of French hotels during July and August.
While the main indicators trend upward, the 400 professionals surveyed display more mixed views in a summer marked notably by heatwaves, spending allocations, and several events that disrupted footfall in certain destinations.
French hotels recorded an average occupancy rate of 72% this summer, up by 1 percentage point from 2025. In other words, over July and August, a little more than seven out of ten rooms were occupied on average.
The average price of a sold room stood at €151 excluding VAT, representing a 1% year-on-year increase.
Another indicator used by professionals, RevPAR, measures how much revenue a room generates on average, taking into account both the room rate and occupancy. This summer it reached €109 excluding VAT, up by 2% year on year.
The rise was mainly driven by July. RevPAR rose by 4%, whereas August saw a gain of only 1%.
While the main indicators trend upward, the 400 professionals surveyed display more mixed views in a summer marked notably by heatwaves, spending allocations, and several events that disrupted footfall in certain destinations.
French hotels recorded an average occupancy rate of 72% this summer, up by 1 percentage point from 2025. In other words, over July and August, a little more than seven out of ten rooms were occupied on average.
The average price of a sold room stood at €151 excluding VAT, representing a 1% year-on-year increase.
Another indicator used by professionals, RevPAR, measures how much revenue a room generates on average, taking into account both the room rate and occupancy. This summer it reached €109 excluding VAT, up by 2% year on year.
The rise was mainly driven by July. RevPAR rose by 4%, whereas August saw a gain of only 1%.
Coastlines benefited more from the season
The outcomes vary considerably by territory.
Outside the Côte d’Azur, coastal areas posted the strongest uptick, with an average occupancy of 85.4%, up 3.3 percentage points from the year before. Revenue per available room there also rose by 4%.
The Côte d’Azur nevertheless remains the region with the highest occupancy, at 86.9%. Its RevPAR climbs by 2%.
In contrast, Paris saw little change over the period, while the very large metropolitan areas ended the summer with a stable RevPAR.
The intense heat also shaped travelers’ choices. Cooler destinations and climate-controlled hotels were in higher demand.
Outside the Côte d’Azur, coastal areas posted the strongest uptick, with an average occupancy of 85.4%, up 3.3 percentage points from the year before. Revenue per available room there also rose by 4%.
The Côte d’Azur nevertheless remains the region with the highest occupancy, at 86.9%. Its RevPAR climbs by 2%.
In contrast, Paris saw little change over the period, while the very large metropolitan areas ended the summer with a stable RevPAR.
The intense heat also shaped travelers’ choices. Cooler destinations and climate-controlled hotels were in higher demand.
Differences by hotel category
Not all establishments benefited from the same momentum. For July–August, lodging revenue rose by 3% in the mid-range and in the upper-midrange/high-end/luxury segment.
The economy segment posted a more modest gain of 1%, while the super-economy segment fell by 1%.
In August, the gaps widened. RevPAR for the high-end/luxury segment advanced another 3%, while the economy RevPAR declined by 1% and the super-economy RevPAR by 3%.
According to In Extenso, purchasing power among consumers notably weighed on ancillary expenditures.
Guests pulled back more on dining and on the services offered by hotels, while lodging remained the more resilient component.
The economy segment posted a more modest gain of 1%, while the super-economy segment fell by 1%.
In August, the gaps widened. RevPAR for the high-end/luxury segment advanced another 3%, while the economy RevPAR declined by 1% and the super-economy RevPAR by 3%.
According to In Extenso, purchasing power among consumers notably weighed on ancillary expenditures.
Guests pulled back more on dining and on the services offered by hotels, while lodging remained the more resilient component.
Hoteliers less enthusiastic
Despite rising indicators, professionals deliver a more nuanced assessment of the season.
The survey conducted by In Extenso among about 400 hoteliers shows that “64% are satisfied with their July-August activity. At the same time, 41% believe they had a worse season than in 2025”.
The sentiment worsened as summer progressed. 75% of professionals were satisfied in the first half of July, versus 55% in the second half of August. Variations were also pronounced by territory, with particularly high satisfaction in Normandy (89%), compared with 74–75% in Brittany, Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-C Côte d’Azur (PACA).
This perception is largely explained by a season that was highly dependent on weather conditions and the local context.
The heat waves favored the coast and climate-controlled establishments, while fires in Gironde led to cancellations from July 24 and continued to weigh in August. In Bordeaux, hotel attendance also fell across all categories before gradually recovering.
Geopolitical tensions also affected certain international clienteles.
The survey conducted by In Extenso among about 400 hoteliers shows that “64% are satisfied with their July-August activity. At the same time, 41% believe they had a worse season than in 2025”.
The sentiment worsened as summer progressed. 75% of professionals were satisfied in the first half of July, versus 55% in the second half of August. Variations were also pronounced by territory, with particularly high satisfaction in Normandy (89%), compared with 74–75% in Brittany, Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-C Côte d’Azur (PACA).
This perception is largely explained by a season that was highly dependent on weather conditions and the local context.
The heat waves favored the coast and climate-controlled establishments, while fires in Gironde led to cancellations from July 24 and continued to weigh in August. In Bordeaux, hotel attendance also fell across all categories before gradually recovering.
Geopolitical tensions also affected certain international clienteles.
Favorable yet nuanced outlooks
For the remainder of the year, hoteliers are more confident about business travel than leisure travel.
54% report positive or very positive prospects for business activity, compared with only 35% for leisure.
54% report positive or very positive prospects for business activity, compared with only 35% for leisure.
