International chains are investing in expanding their presence in Greece’s hospitality market, with a focus on luxury properties, as the number of hotels affiliated with global brands rose by 14.2% in a year, while their capacity increased by more than 4,000 rooms.
According to a new report by GBR Consulting for the third quarter of 2026, 402 hotels in Greece were affiliated with international hotel brands in October, up from 352 in the same month of 2025. Over the same period, the number of rooms rose from 32,733 to 36,834, an increase of 12.5%.
Expansion is focused mainly on the five-star category, which accounts for most of the additional capacity. Of the 50 additional hotels recorded year on year, 28 are five-star properties; of the 4,101 additional rooms, 3,459 are in hotels in this category.
In total, five-star hotels affiliated with international brands now number 217, with 27,128 rooms, compared with 189 properties and 23,669 rooms a year earlier. Despite this significant expansion, international chains account for 25% of all five-star hotels in Greece and 24% of rooms in the category.
Room for further growth
Despite the increasingly strong presence of international hotel groups, Greece’s market remains characterised by a large number of independent hospitality businesses.
According to GBR Consulting, just 8% of all hotels in Greece belong to a chain, whether international, national or local. These properties, however, account for 23% of the country’s total room stock.
The picture varies significantly by category. Among five-star hotels, 47% belong to a chain, while the proportion among four-star hotels is 14%. Chain presence is even lower in the lower categories.
For international brands in particular, penetration outside the luxury category remains limited. The number of four-star hotels affiliated with international chains rose from 67 in October 2025 to 70 in October 2026, accounting for just 4% of hotels in the category. In the one- to three-star categories, there are only 18 such properties in total.
The largest hotel groups
A total of 40 international chains now operate in the Greek market, with a presence across 439 hotel and non-hotel properties, offering a total of 41,029 rooms.
Of these, 402 are hotels with 36,834 rooms, while the remaining 37 properties, with a capacity of 4,195 rooms, are other types of tourist accommodation.
Marriott International leads the ranking of international chains by room count, with a 16% share, followed by Hyatt with 14%. Hilton completes the top three, with a 9% share.
Sani/Ikos ranks fourth, with an 8% share, followed by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts with 7% and Zeus International Hotels & Resorts with 5%. Next come Accor, Domes Resorts and IHG Hotels & Resorts, each with a 4% share, while Louis Hotels completes the top 10 with 3%.
According to GBR Consulting, the six largest chains held on to their positions compared with October 2025, while Accor rose from ninth to seventh place, overtaking Louis Hotels, which fell correspondingly in the ranking.
Where international brands are concentrated
The geographic distribution of rooms in hotels affiliated with international brands highlights how this activity is concentrated in a limited number of regions.
Attica accounts for the largest share, with 25% of rooms, followed by the South Aegean with 22% and Crete with 18%. Together, these three regions account for 65% of the capacity of international hotel chains in Greece.
Central Macedonia and the Ionian Islands each account for 11% of rooms, bringing the combined share of the top five regions to 87%.
By contrast, international brands have a limited presence in the rest of the country, while no hotels affiliated with international chains are recorded in Western Macedonia.
Acquisitions
Activity in the hotel sector is also reflected in the investment moves tracked by GBR Consulting, as Greek and foreign groups expand their portfolios.
Among the key players is MHV Mediterranean Hospitality Venture, Prodea Investments’ main investment vehicle in the hospitality sector. The addition of the 201-room-and-suite Moxy Athens City to its portfolio was announced in October.
The Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Porto Heli is also part of the portfolio. It has closed for an extensive renovation and repositioning, and is scheduled to reopen on 1 June 2027 as Aliis Resort Porto Heli - MGallery Collection.
Recent deals also include Chandris Hotels’ acquisition of the five-star Milos Cove Inception Resort on Milos for €17 million.
In Athens, US-based Highgate and France’s Eternam acquired the Athens Zafolia Hotel in September, marking Highgate’s first hotel investment in Greece.
Finally, in Crete, Mar-Bella Collection entered the local hotel market through its acquisition of Cayo Creta, the owner and operator of the five-star Cayo Exclusive Resort & Spa in Plaka, Elounda.