Hotels prices across Australia rose five percent in 2010 as the average daily rate for a hotel room reached $152 per night.
Hotel rates in Canberra and Sydney rose 18 percent and 16 percent respectively as business travel picked up, whereas Melbourne’s growth remained flat despite the city overtaking Sydney as the most popular domestic destination among Australians.
According to the latest Hotel Price Index from Hotels.com, Sydney retained its place as the most popular destination for international travellers, followed by Melbourne and Gold Coast.
Adelaide, ranked eighth last year, moved up three places to number five.
Travellers paid an average of $118 per night in Cairns, Australia’s cheapest city for hotel accommodation.
At the other end of the scale, Canberra, with an average of $189 a night, stole from Perth the title as Australia’s most expensive city for hotel accommodation.
Internationally, the strong performance of the Australian dollar during 2010 meant Australian travellers found many cities considerably cheaper for hotels than in 2009.
Notable destinations for price falls include: Hungary (-22%), Austria (-19%), Finland (-18%), Japan (-15%) and Greece (-15%).
The cheapest destination for Australian travellers was New Zealand, where the average rate for a hotel room was A$111 per night.
