Easter hotel bookings in Australia rise by 19.6% for 2025

Hotel bookings in Australia for Easter 2025 have experienced a significant rise of 19.6% compared to the previous year, according to SiteMinder.

SiteMinder, which analyses hotel data, shows an increased urge among travellers to book accommodations earlier than they did in 2024. Over the five-night Easter period, these properties received an average of 3.35 more bookings per property compared to last year. Australian hotels saw an increase of 3.8 additional bookings per property, with Spain witnessing the highest growth, recording an additional 6.75 bookings per property.

Within Australia, Adelaide has experienced the highest increase in bookings, with a rise of 7.4 additional bookings per property. Following Adelaide, Hobart reported 7.1 additional bookings, Surfers Paradise 6.3, and Cairns 5.9. In contrast, Brisbane gained two additional bookings, while Melbourne saw a minimal growth of 0.2 bookings. Sydney, however, encountered a drop with one less booking per property year-on-year.

Bradley Haines, Market Vice President - Asia Pacific for SiteMinder, commented, "The strong Easter booking trends we're seeing are encouraging, with destinations outside Australia's three largest cities performing particularly well. Especially with this period coinciding with the school holidays, it's clear that it's an ideal time for Aussies to get away before the cooler months kick in, and for hotels to look to technology to capitalise on the high demand."

The data also indicates that two-thirds of the destinations examined, including Australia, are witnessing growth in the Average Daily Rate (ADR) during the Easter period. The highest increases in ADR are seen in Portugal with a 13.7% growth, followed by Spain at nearly 8%.

The booking lead time has increased by 9.63% from an average of 87 days in 2024 to 96 days in 2025. Portugal leads the way with bookings being made 105 days in advance, although Australia sees a slightly shorter lead time year-on-year. Italy shows the greatest rise in lead time with a 15.51% increase.

While booking volumes and lead times have gone up, the average duration of stay during Easter 2025 has decreased by 3.43% globally, declining from 2.33 to 2.25 days, with only Italy and Australia recording modest increases in stay length.

Globally, there is a trend towards more international guests, except in Australia, which is maintaining its proportion of domestic travellers. Countries like Italy and France have shown a significant rise in the proportion of international guests, with Italy's international guests increasing from 58.53% in 2024 to 76.58% in 2025, and France from 48.88% to 67.97%.

Haines noted, "With Easter falling almost three weeks later this year than in 2024, we're seeing notable shifts in travel patterns around the world. While most markets are experiencing earlier bookings and more international guests, Australia is bucking these trends in interesting ways. It's the only country with a shorter booking window, one of just two seeing increased stay lengths, and is maintaining its proportion of domestic guests. Underpinned by strong demand, everything points to a successful Easter season for Aussie hotels."