A survey released this Thursday (12) by the Union of Accommodation Services of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro (HotéisRIO) and the Brazilian Association of the Hotel Industry of Rio de Janeiro (ABIH-RJ) shows that hotel occupancy for the Carnival period exceeds 91% in the capital and 80% in the interior of Rio de Janeiro.
The region with the highest occupancy rate extends from Glória to Botafogo (96.91%), followed by Ipanema/Leblon (96.19%), Centro (95.42%), Leme/Copacabana (94.63%) and Barra/Recreio/São Conrado (86.97%). Last year, occupancy at Rio Carnival reached 98.62%.
In the period from February 20th to 21st, when the Parade of Champions takes place, the average occupancy rate in the capital is also high, with an expectation of 85.13%. The highlights are Leme/Copacabana (97.14%), Ipanema/Leblon (95.69%), Glória a Botafogo (87.55%), Centro (82.66%) and Barra/Recreio/São Conrado (77.24%).
The president of HotéisRIO, Alfredo Lopes, highlighted that Carnival is the main festival in Rio de Janeiro due to the longer stay of guests, compared to New Year’s Eve. “This longer stay results in full hotels and good results for the tourism chain – bars, restaurants and shopping malls -, with benefits for the city’s revenue. Our expectation is to surpass last year’s numbers. The growth of international tourists will certainly contribute to this”, he estimated.
Other regions
In the interior of the state, the ABIH-RJ survey for the 2026 carnival reveals an average occupancy of 80.71%. The municipalities with the highest averages are Arraial do Cabo and Miguel Pereira, both with 93.40%, followed by Angra dos Reis (90.30%), Paraty (83.70%), Armação dos Búzios and Nova Friburgo (both with 81.80%), Rio das Ostras (79.20%), Cabo Frio (78.80), Valença/Conservatória (78.40%), Vassouras (78.20%), Barra do Piraí/ Ipiabas (77.80%), Teresópolis (75.60%), Macaé (73.60%), Petrópolis (72.40%) and Itatiaia/ Penedo (72.30%).
The president of the association, José Domingo Bouzon, highlighted that the high demand for tourists during Carnival also has an impact on the hotel network in the interior. “Throughout the state, hotels and inns offer visitors a first-class infrastructure, with diverse leisure options and entertainment-oriented programming, which attracts many tourists.”
Rio Open
HotéisRIO highlighted that, in addition to Carnival, another event that will move the capital’s hotel chain right after the festivities is the Rio Open 2026 tennis tournament, which takes place from February 14th to 22nd at the Jockey Club Brasileiro. The average occupancy for the period is 85.20%.
