The Baltic sea region remains the most popular holiday destination.  In 2009 it accounted for 42% of all holiday trips in Poland. More and more people also choose hotels for their stay and as the analysts forecast, this trend is set to continue.

Despite the rise in the number of overnight hotel stays in 2008, occupancy fell by 3 percentage points compared to 2007 (from 42%), which, however, was attributed to a significant growth of the hotel room supply. Rising demand for hotel rooms on the Polish coast is accompanied by the constant development of hotel accommodation, with new hotels being erected and existing facilities being thoroughly modernised and redeveloped.

According to Cushman & Wakefield’s data, there are 115 hotels operating along the Polish coast, which represents 6.3% of the total hotel stock in Poland. All facilities are located in seaside cities. Three-stars hotels – 50 schemes (46.4% of the beds) and two-stars hotels – 35 schemes (19.8% of the beds) dominate the region market. The share of four- and five-stars hotels is also significant. There are currently 23 hotels of these categories (32.2% of the beds), all located in the most popular seaside resorts such as: Darłowo, Dźwirzyno, Jastarnia, Międzyzdroje, Kołobrzeg, Ustka, Ustronie Morskie, or Sopot. 

Tri-city, Międzyzdroje, Kołobrzeg and Ustka are considered to have the most mature hotel industry on the Polish Baltic coast. This market is characterised by high supply of hotel rooms, the presence of top class hotel (four- and five star hotels), relatively high occupancy levels and a wide range of additional services: SPA & Wellness, swimming pools, bowling alleys etc. The central coast, from Sarbinowo to Dębki has the least developed hotel market in the region.

Dorota Malinowska, a hospitality consultant of Cushman & Wakefield, said,  “To draw the maximum benefit from their region’s tourism potential, a substantial increase in hotel accommodation combined with the improvement of the existing hotel stock, especially on the central coast, is required. It must be emphasised however that the crucial issue is the development of transport infrastructure, which would significantly shorten and improve the journey to holiday destination. Only then are seaside hotel occupancy levels likely to see a steady rise.”

source: Property Journal  8-9/2010