Latest data from global hotel solutions provider HRS have revealed that major cities across the UK, including London, have seen a decline in average hotel room rates when looking at Q2 2016 compared with Q2 2015.
Having held the top spot in Europe for the last few years, London has been knocked off its perch as the most expensive capital to stay in, with rates showing a 7% decline on the same period last year, Traveldailynews.com reported.
However, data for the majority of capitals in Europe and internationally showed that the average cost of a hotel room per night is on the up, bar a small handful of destinations.
While London continues to have the most expensive hotel rooms in the UK at an average room rate of £148 ($195), Manchester takes second place with a room per night costing £100–2% lower than the same period of last year.
Taking third place is Bristol, offering rooms at £98 on average–a 10% drop compared with Q2 2016.
Talking about the UK outlook, Jon West, managing director of HRS for the UK and Ireland, said, “With UK room rates dropping across the board in Q2 2016 by an average of 7% against the same period the previous year, this is certainly something to keep an eye on but it could present an opportunity for UK tourism and the business travel industry. For business travelers and holidaymakers alike, this should make the UK more appealing as a place to stay as for many years now it’s been renowned for being so expensive.”
Looking at Europe, Dublin overtook London with average hotel room rates at £163 ($214)–a whopping 70% rise and £15 ($20) more expensive than London. However, it was Oslo that stole the top spot as the most expensive European capital to stay in at £186 ($245) per night–also a massive 70% increase on the same period last year, and nearly £40 ($53) more expensive than London.
Unsurprisingly, New York retains its position as the most expensive city in the world with an average room per night setting the purse strings back by £204 ($268). San Francisco continues to record strong rates with an average room costing travelers £189 ($249) and Tokyo coming in third with hotel owners setting their rates at £156 ($205) per night.
