Hotel Booking Data Reveals Demand for Second-City Hotspots

Travellers are also balancing European favourites with a growing interest in second and even third-city destinations.

eDreams ODIGEO - the world’s leading travel subscription platform and parent company of Opodo in the UK - launches its annual ‘A Year in Travel’ report. It draws on search and booking data from travellers across key markets worldwide* highlighting evolving 2026 travel trends, destinations gaining popularity and what to expect in 2027.

NEW: HOTEL BOOKING INSIGHTS 2026

New this year, eDreams ODIGEO’s Year in Travel Report includes hotel booking data, bolstering our insight into popular destinations 2026.

Globally, top hotel bookings include Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam.
Travellers are also balancing European favourites with a growing interest in second and even third-city destinations that offer new cultural experiences. Growth cities for hotel bookings include Cagliari +78%, Dublin +76%, Tirana +74%, Madrid +63%, Manchester and Zaragoza +57%.
Travel habits: The average length of stay for hotels was 1-2 days (69%).
For UK travellers, appetite remains for shorter breaks, closer to home, including staycations: top hotel bookings this year include London, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin (see table 7). Growth destinations include Manchester +112%, Dublin +85%, Belfast +56%, Barcelona +45% and Madrid +41% (table 8). Our travel habits for length of stay are similar to the global set - 68% opting for 1-2 days.

2027 – HOTEL BOOKINGS INSIGHTS

Global results show a keen interest in European city breaks with London also ranking 4th. Top 10 destinations are perennial favourites: Rome, Barcelona, Paris, London, Madrid, Battery Park (NYC), Bangkok, Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam, and Sevilla. An early snapshot into 2027 bookings shows strong interest in European city breaks, currently suggesting an ongoing prioritisation for travellers of cultural immersion, food and adventure.

TOP 2026 BOOKED DESTINATIONS

London remained in the top 5 booked destinations globally. Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and Palma de Mallorca made up the top 4 places.
UK traveller bookings rank Barcelona, Amsterdam, Malaga, Istanbul and Paris in the top 5 (see table 1 for top 10 destinations). Clearly, city breaks continue to offer flexibility and accessibility to explore new destinations beyond these hubs, as well as immersion into vibrant cultures, food and experiences.

Featured image by Unsplash.