Riviera Maya Hotel Occupancy Drops to 44%

Riviera Maya, Mexico — Hotel occupancy in the Riviera Maya has plummeted to 44 percent in the first days of September, a level not seen since the pandemic. According to data from the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council, as of the latest report on Tuesday, September 9, the destination reached this level with 58,035 available hotel rooms. On the mentioned date, only 26,087 rooms were occupied—less than half of the Riviera Maya's capacity, which consists primarily of all-inclusive hotels located in the municipality of Playa del Carmen.

This negative figure also surpasses the previous record for lowest hotel occupancy set last year, when it reached 47 percent on October 2, 2024. On that occasion, the destination had a availability of 57,108 rooms: 927 units fewer than the current count.

Why Did This Decline Occur So Early?

The effects of the low season have arrived early this year, as statistical precedents indicate that declines commonly begin after the patriotic holidays of September 15 and 16, when a rebound typically occurs. According to the state's tourism promotion body, the highest occupancy in the first nine days of September was 55 percent, a figure recorded on Saturday, September 6.

José Gómez Burgos, secretary of the Cooperativa Turística del Mar Caribe, stated that there is concern within the guild because aquatic activities continue to decline, as they did during the summer vacation period when the destination failed to reach the usual high occupancy peaks above 80 percent. They hope for a slight rebound during the patriotic holidays, primarily in the rental of vessels for offshore tours.

Testimonies from hotel workers indicate that solidarity days have been reactivated since the end of August, when the plunge began to be felt more acutely. They report that occupancy could fall even further in the coming weeks.