Lisbon, Nov. 9, 2025 (Lusa) - The Web Summit is once again boosting the hotel sector in Lisbon, with good occupancy rates at high prices, but demand is more concentrated on the event days, which run from Monday to Thursday.
Although opinions on the event's effects on the sector are not unanimous, hotel representatives generally believe that the city's hotels are the ones that stand to gain from the event.
The Web Summit kicks off in Lisbon on Monday, with more than 900 speakers and 70,000 participants, according to the organisation, in an initiative where artificial intelligence (AI) remains in the spotlight.
Questioned by Lusa, Cristina Siza Vieira, the executive vice-president of the Hotel Association of Portugal (AHP), said that, as in previous editions, "the vast majority of Web Summit participants are concentrated in Lisbon, with the neighbouring areas registering only residual effects".
Without providing any concrete figures for this year, she noted that the “Web Summit 2024 Balance” inquiry conducted by the AHP showed that the average occupancy rate in Lisbon hotels during the week of the event last year was 88%, 1 percentage point higher than in 2023.
"Despite a slight moderation in demand, the city maintained a solid performance during Europe's biggest technology event," she recalled.
Moderation that the Hoti Group, which owns several hotels in Lisbon, says it felt this year in terms of the number of days that participants stayed.
"The occupancy of the units in Lisbon for the period of the Web Summit is quite high, but increasingly limited to the dates of the event, and has been losing momentum in the days before and after. Although occupancies remain at maximum demand on the four days of the event, in the 10 total days traditionally boosted by the event's existence, we can say that average occupancies have weakened this year by around 15%," Miguel Proença, the CEO, told Lusa.
With no indication of days, but “practically 100%” occupancy at the Vila Galé Group in Lisbon, Marketing and Sales Director Pedro Ribeiro told Lusa.
At the Ópera, occupancy grew by "5%" compared to 2024, he added.
When asked, those responsible acknowledge that the Web Summit increases the average room price, though the Hoti Group notes that signs of cooling demand outside the main event days moderate the overall impact.
Miguel Proença said that “the existence of the event naturally boosts the average price in the city's hotels”. Still, he emphasised that “over the 10 days traditionally impacted by the event, the average values have been around €150 over the last two years and the aforementioned loss of strength on the adjacent days brings with it an expected drop of around 20%”.
Pedro Ribeiro pointed to an increase in rates at the Vila Galé Ópera "of 5% compared to 2024".
The AHP only recalled that in 2024 the average price per room (ARR) reached €221, an increase of 4% on the previous year, referring to the balance of 2025 until after the event had ended.
As for the profile of guests during these days, there is a strong international presence, especially from Europe, and a predominance of professionals in technology and business.
The head of the main association representing the sector mentioned the traditional prevalence of professionals from the UK, Portugal, and Spain, and the recent growth in the USA.
A profile that "has remained consistent over the last few editions of the event", recalled Cristina Siza Vieira.
However, Miguel Proença pointed out that - although they were making a name for themselves - the USA had "less of a response this year". Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, Brazil, India and Canada stand out more strongly in this chain.
Vila Galé, without specifying, pointed to guests from the European and Brazilian markets.
Lusa questioned various hotel groups and units, but was unable to obtain more answers on time.
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