Global hotel rates on the rise

New York, Rio de Janeiro and Zurich were amongst the most expensive destinations on average for overnight stays, according to a recent study.

New York, Rio de Janeiro and Zurich were amongst the most expensive destinations on average for overnight stays, according to a recent study.

The average room price in New York for 2011 was almost ยฃ150, closely followed by Rio de Janeiro, where visitors paid an average of ยฃ144 per room.

An overnight stay in the UKโ€™s capital in 2011 rose by over 10% compared with 2010, whilst visitors to 17 of the 20 European cities reviewed paid higher prices for accommodation than in 2010.

London remains on top for the UK

The average rate in London has consistently risen since late 2009, with the price of an overnight stay in the capital reaching ยฃ108 in 2011. The royal wedding last April, which attracted hundreds of thousands of domestic and foreign visitors to London, as well as the impending Olympics, have fuelled tourism in the English capital, pushing up hotel prices as a result.

Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Bristol have seen an increase in the number of visiting corporate clients, hence the decrease in average prices since 2010 with more bookings at corporate discount or net rates.

Top destinations in UK
Average room rate per night in 2011 in ยฃ
Price trend in 2011 compared with 2010 in %

London
107.56
10.74

Manchester
73.38
-0.87

Birmingham
68.20
-8.27

Edinburgh
92.80
4.52

Bristol
80.58
-2.54

Glasgow
69.25
-1.72

Leeds
65.85
3.14

Liverpool
67.93
-2.73

Reading
81.97
8.17

Leicester
72.68
18.31

Prices increase in Europe

Vienna, Paris, London, Prague and Amsterdam proved particularly popular for city breaks in 2011. Thanks to high demand and good occupancy rates, many hotels in these destinations were able to increase room rates significantly compared with 2010.

Visitors to 17 of the 20 cities reviewed paid higher prices for accommodation than in 2010.

Bolstered by a strong Swiss franc, room rates in Zurich increased by 13 percent to almost ยฃ130. Overnight stays in the Russian capital of Moscow cost an average of ยฃ124 last year โ€“ an increase of some 10 percent from 2010. The shortage of hotel rooms in Moscow runs into thousands and this undersupply is driving prices upwards.

Warsaw is already gearing up for football’s Euro 2012, with good flight connections, a thriving nightlife and a multitude of sightseeing attractions making Warsaw an increasingly popular destination. Higher visitor numbers, and therefore increased hotel occupancy rates, led to an above-average price rise of almost 9% to ยฃ65 per night.

Top destinations in Europe
Average room rate per night in 2011 in ยฃ
Price trend in 2011 compared with 2010 in %

Amsterdam
106.39
7.12

Athens
66.20
4.99

Barcelona
91.40
6.46

Budapest
56.47
-0.40

Helsinki
90.32
6.49

Istanbul
70.97
7.85

Copenhagen
100.36
3.52

Lisbon
65.72
3.27

Madrid
75.18
-0.68

Milan
84.77
2.49

Moscow
124.37
9.95

Oslo
111.07
4.97

Paris
104.33
6.46

Prague
51.95
6.01

Rome
82.71
-0.75

Stockholm
100.17
5.31

Warsaw
65.01
8.80

Vienna
78.62
3.48

Zurich
129.34
13.02

Worldwide trends

Outside Europe, price trends were highly disparate. In New York, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney, visitors were faced with significant increases.

Hotels in New York have been among the most expensive in the world for many years. Visitors to the USA’s largest city paid almost ยฃ150 per night last year, representing a 14 percent increase on 2010.

While prices in traditionally expensive destinations increased further last year, overnight stays in many East Asian cities became even more affordable. In Bangkok, prices decreased by almost 6 percent to ยฃ42, while in Beijing they dropped by 3 percent to just below ยฃ46.

Top destinations worldwide
Average room rate per night in 2011 in ยฃ
Price trend in 2011 compared with 2010 in %

Bangkok
41.60
-5.92

Buenos Aires
77.48
14.12

Dubai
81.69
-1.32

Hong Kong
98.72
10.68

Cape Town
101.68
16.36

Kuala Lumpur
42.61
-0.40

Las Vegas
58.48
-2.94

Mexico City
60.43
-7.06

Miami
70.86
3.59

Mumbai
88.69
-7.41

New York
148.57
14.48

Beijing
46.07
-3.28

Rio de Janeiro
144.72
30.65

Seoul
94.74
-2.49

Shanghai
54.68
-7.33

Singapore
109.21
1.24

Sydney
126.95
15.66

Tokyo
115.27
14.31

Toronto
79.84
-1.67

Vancouver
78.04
-8.76

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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