Hospitality and restaurant businesses in Alicante: buying, selling and valuation
Hospitality in the province of Alicante totalled 15,718 active establishments in 2025, 43.8% of those in the Valencian Community (Comunidad Valenciana). The vast majority are food and beverage service activities, that is, restaurants, bars and cafés, with 14,084; accommodation services contribute 1,634.
To measure demand, the Hotel Occupancy Survey of the INE (Spanish National Statistics Institute) counts a total of 5,067,006 travellers staying in the province's hotels in 2025 and 18,840,185 hotel overnight stays. These data refer only to hotel establishments: they do not cover tourist apartments, campsites or private accommodation, nor residents' spending in bars and restaurants.
Hospitality and restaurants · Alicante in figures
Active establishments in the province (CNAE activity code 55, 56)
15,718
Share of the Valencian Community
43.8%
Active companies in the province (all activities)
145,106
What affects the value of hospitality and restaurant businesses in Alicante
In the restaurant trade, the premises are what matter. What weighs most in the valuation is the lease: how many years are left, whether it can be assigned to the buyer, whether the landlord must give consent and how the rent is reviewed. A good business with a lease that expires soon or that cannot be transferred by traspaso (transfer of a business lease and its assets) is worth much less than its accounts suggest.
The activity licence and its scope are the second filter: the type of licence, the authorised capacity, the terrace and its conditions, the smoke extraction or the opening hours. The buyer will check that what operates today is covered by the permits and that they will be able to keep it in their name. Any planning irregularity becomes a price reduction or a reason not to proceed.
If the business is seasonal and much of the takings come in a few months, the buyer will want to see monthly sales for several years and how rent, staff and utilities are covered in the low season. For hotels, occupancy and the average room rate throughout the year also matter, as do the weight of the booking channels and pending investment in rooms and facilities.
Finally, the accounts must reflect the reality of the business. A buyer only pays for the profit they can verify in the accounts and tax returns; sales that are not recorded do not count in the valuation. They also review the staff, the dependence on the chef or manager and the condition of the kitchen and furniture.
Indicative valuation multiples
| Method | Range | Median |
|---|---|---|
| SDE (small businesses) | 1× – 2.5× | 1.8× |
| EBITDA (medium-sized businesses) | 3× – 5× | 4× |
Frequently asked questions
The INE publishes the establishments in food and beverage service activities, which include restaurants, bars, cafés and catering services. It is a count of premises, not companies, and the figure appears on this page with its source.
Both, but the lease is usually decisive. Without a long lease that can be transferred, the buyer has no guarantee of staying on the site, and in the restaurant trade location is a large part of the business.
They give context on hotel demand in the province, but they do not replace the hotel's own data. The buyer will assess your occupancy, your average rate, your sales channels and your results, comparing them with their own view of the market.
Yes, as long as the season's results cover the full year and are well documented. The buyer will analyse how many months it operates, the permanent and seasonal staff and the costs that remain while it is closed.
The licence is tied to the premises and the activity, and its transfer is notified to the town council according to its regulations. Before completion, the buyer will want to confirm that the licence covers exactly what is done today, including the terrace; it is worth confirming this with a legal adviser and with the town council itself.
In the restaurant trade, mainly professionals from the sector and small groups that want to open another venue without starting from scratch. For hotels, hotel operators, property investors and family businesses in the sector. Each profile values the property and the operation differently.
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- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Locales por provincia, actividad principal (divisiones CNAE 2009) y estrato de asalariados
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Locales por CCAA, actividad principal (grupos CNAE 2009) y estrato de asalariados
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Empresas por provincia y estrato de asalariados
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE): Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera: Viajeros y pernoctaciones por comunidades autónomas y provincias
Latest official data available on the date given for each source.
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