BPOLBF Records Sharp Drop in Labuan Bajo Three-Star Hotel Occupancy

Labuan Bajo — Hotel occupancy at three-star properties in Labuan Bajo fell sharply between January and February 2025, dropping from 32.12% to 18.82%, according to an occupancy report issued by the Badan Pelaksana Otorita Labuan Bajo Flores (BPOLBF). The authority describes the decline at three-star hotels as the most significant among the accommodation categories covered in the survey.

The BPOLBF document compares hotel and resort occupancy in Labuan Bajo for January and February 2025 and presents the figures as processed data based on an industry sample in the destination. It does not specify how many properties or rooms were included in the survey, referring instead to aggregate percentages for each accommodation segment.

February decline across accommodation segments

According to BPOLBF, three-star hotels recorded the lowest occupancy in both months and the steepest month-on-month drop. Their rate fell by 13.30 percentage points, from 32.12% in January to 18.82% in February, which the authority calculates as a 41.43% decline.

The same report shows that four-star hotels had the highest occupancy in each month, though they also experienced a modest decrease from 57.49% to 53.33%. Five-star hotels fell from 48% to 38%, while resorts declined from 36.80% to 31.96%. BPOLBF presents these movements as a measurable drop in occupancy across all categories between January and February 2025.

An article published in March 2025 on BPOLBF’s official site echoes the finding of a low season in Labuan Bajo during January–February 2025, noting a general decline in room occupancy and highlighting that four- and five-star properties remained comparatively more stable than lower-rated hotels.

The BPOLBF occupancy report also records a shorter average length of stay, from 2.77 nights in January to 2.33 nights in February, a decrease the authority quantifies at 15.88%. The document notes that guests at resorts tended to stay the longest among the surveyed categories.

Headline figures from the BPOLBF comparison

BPOLBF’s January–February 2025 comparison for Labuan Bajo reports the following changes in occupancy:

• Three-star hotels: 32.12% to 18.82%, down 41.43%.
• Four-star hotels: 57.49% to 53.33%, down 7.24%.
• Five-star hotels: 48% to 38%, down 20.83%.
• Resorts: 36.80% to 31.96%, down 13.15%.
• Average length of stay: 2.77 to 2.33 nights.

In its March 2025 communication, BPOLBF also highlights that resort guests stayed around three nights on average, followed by guests at three- and five-star hotels at roughly 2.33 nights, and four-star hotel guests at about two nights.

Shifting mix of visitor markets

The occupancy report includes a breakdown of guest nationalities staying in Labuan Bajo accommodation during the two-month period. China is recorded as the largest visitor market in January at 25.9% of surveyed hotel guests and remains the largest in February at 30.4%. In February, Malaysia ranks second at 21.7%, while Indonesia accounts for 13% of the guest mix.

BPOLBF’s March 2025 article further notes that Chinese visitors were among the nationalities with longer average stays at Labuan Bajo properties, alongside guests from several other source markets.

Implications for recovery and planning

The February 2025 decline in occupancy across all measured categories, combined with a shorter average length of stay, indicates that demand weakened in both volume and duration between the two months, according to BPOLBF’s survey. The data also illustrates why a single, destination-wide occupancy average can obscure differences between segments: four-star hotels recorded 53.33% occupancy in February, compared with 18.82% at three-star hotels.

BPOLBF’s materials frame the January–February 2025 period as a low season for Labuan Bajo and link the sharper declines at three-star and lower-rated hotels to efficiency pressures in government-related schemes, while noting that higher-rated properties remained relatively more stable. However, the occupancy report itself does not set out a recovery programme or recommend specific measures for hotels, resorts or public agencies.

For local operators and policymakers, the findings suggest that any recovery strategy will need to consider accommodation segment, visitor market composition and average length of stay, rather than relying solely on headline visitor totals or a single occupancy figure for the destination.

Sources

• Badan Pelaksana Otorita Labuan Bajo Flores (BPOLBF) – Temuan Penurunan Occupancy Rate Jan-Feb 2025
• BPOLBF – Optimalisasi PAD Melalui Kolaborasi Pengelolaan Berbagai Sektor Melalui Kepariwisataan
• InBisnisNews – Hospitality Labuan Bajo 2026: Okupansi Resort 64,7 Persen, Peluang dan Risiko Investasi