First drop in UK hotel rates in four years
The cost of UK hotel stays dropped for the first time four years this autumn, a new study shows.
The UK was the only major European country in which prices paid for rooms by UK travellers fell 4% in the third quarter, to £97 per room per night, compared to £101 a year earlier.
The Hotels.com Hotel Price Index found that prices fell across many major UK cities as hoteliers – particularly those in Scotland – looked to ensure that occupancy levels were maximised.
Leading the falls in Scotland was Inverness, where prices fell 15% to an average of £94. Inverness was closely followed by Aberdeen, where prices fell by 11% to £96 on average.
In England, Birmingham was the city most affected by price falls, seeing a 13% drop in rates from £75 to £66 per room per night.
London also saw prices fall by 3% year on year to average £116.
An exception to the national picture was in the UK’s most expensive city, Bath. Prices here were up by some 13% to an average of £142 per night.
Liverpool, this year’s European City of Culture, was the only UK city where prices remained flat, with the average price per room per night staying at £87.
Edinburgh was the third most expensive city for hotels at £106 per room per night on average, despite experiencing a 5% drop in prices.
Southampton crept up into eighth place in the hotel price league to £93 per room per night, having seen an 11% price rise over the same period in 2007.
Bournemouth also fared well, as prices rose by 8% to £86 per room per night.
Hotels.com president David Roche said: “Price falls across the UK means that there are currently great deals to be had, as more affordable accommodation is on offer.
“In cities such as Inverness, Aberdeen and Birmingham, steep falls in the prices being paid for hotel rooms reflects the need for hoteliers to keep occupancy levels at a maximum, and consequently luxury accommodation is now more affordable.
“On the other hand, Bath’s combination of high visitor levels and luxury hotels means that it retains its place as the most expensive city in the UK by a considerable margin.
“Demand for rooms in the capital has kept London as the UK’s second most expensive city even though prices are down 3% on this time last year. All this is good news for travellers in and to the UK.â€
Average room prices and changes Q3 2008: major UK cities
|
City |
Average price per room per night Q3 2008 |
Average price per room per night Q3 2007 |
% Change year-on-year |
|
Bath |
£142 |
£126 |
13% |
|
London |
£116 |
£120 |
-3% |
|
Edinburgh |
£106 |
£111 |
-5% |
|
UK average |
£97 |
£101 |
– 4% |
|
Aberdeen |
£96 |
£108 |
-11% |
|
Brighton |
£96 |
£99 |
-3% |
|
Cardiff |
£95 |
£89 |
6% |
|
Inverness |
£94 |
£110 |
-15% |
|
Southampton |
£93 |
£84 |
11% |
|
Belfast |
£92 |
£100 |
-8% |
|
York |
£91 |
£96 |
-6% |
|
Newcastle Upon Tyne |
£90 |
£92 |
-3% |
|
Liverpool |
£87 |
£87 |
0% |
|
Bournemouth |
£86 |
£79 |
8% |
|
Bristol |
£84 |
£81 |
4% |
|
Leeds |
£82 |
£78 |
5% |
|
Blackpool |
£78 |
£82 |
-5% |
|
Glasgow |
£77 |
£79 |
-3% |
|
Manchester |
£77 |
£80 |
-4% |
|
Plymouth |
£75 |
£77 |
-3% |
|
Leicester |
£68 |
£61 |
12% |
|
Birmingham |
£66 |
£75 |
-13% |
|
Nottingham |
£65 |
£64 |
2% |
*The Hotels.com HPI tracks the real prices paid per hotel room and is based on prices actually paid by customers for 68,000 hotels across 12,500 locations around the world.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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