Overnight guests in Heidelberg hotels and other accommodation establishments must pay a tax of €3.50 per person per night to the city starting October 1, 2025. This was approved by the Heidelberg City Council at its meeting on June 5, 2025. Children and young people up to the age of 16 are exempt from the tax. The overnight stay tax applies to both private and business-related stays. Accommodation establishments must collect the overnight stay tax from guests and remit it to the City of Heidelberg.

An accommodation establishment is defined as any establishment that provides short-term overnight accommodation for a fee. This includes hotels, inns, guesthouses, youth hostels, and motels, as well as private rooms and vacation apartments, which can be booked through portals such as Airbnb, as well as campsites and RV parks and similar facilities that provide accommodation for a fee.