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Bargain-hunting Brits secure cheapest hotel deals
Saturday, 16 Mar, 2010
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The average price of a hotel room was 14% lower last year than in 2008 as the recession hit rates, a new study shows.
The UK was the most expensive European destination in 2007 but by last year it dropped to 13th place, according to the latest Hotel Price Index from accommodation website Hotels.com.
UK hotel prices fell on average the most of any European country – 13% – last year to £84 per room per night. This spurred an increase in domestic holidays.
But the weakness of the pound meant that UK travellers did not feel the benefit of the credit crunch in many of the European city break destinations last year.
As a result, the prices paid by UK travellers in some major cities actually rose – for example in Paris (up 3%) and Rome (up 1%).
This encouraged Brits to look beyond the euro zone and travel further afield to make their money go further.
The Middle East and other mid-haul destinations outside the euro zone offered better value for the pound in 2009.
Average prices in Marrakech were down 15% on 2008, according to the research.
But prices paid by UK travellers were up 16% in Istanbul, 15% in Tel Aviv and 12% in Cairo.
The study showed that the British spent on average £90 per room per night on average in 2009, slipping to 14th place in a league of top holiday spenders topped by the Irish at £107 a night.
Travellers from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Austria also spent £100 or more per night while on holiday.
A Hotels.com spokeswoman said: “When it comes to hotel accommodation, the drop in UK spending is significant but it is in line with the global decrease in hotel room prices in 2009.
“Arguably, the weakness of the pound should have given rise to a higher average spend for UK holidaymakers in 2009.
“What we’ve seen is that rather than forego their holidays, Brits have just got much better at making their money go further.
“They appear to have broken some holiday habits too – many looked outside of the euro zone to secure better value for money."
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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