Hotel Rates are Back on the Rise

Average hotel prices in Europe for a standard double are 90 pounds in February 2010; three percent more than the previous month. This is the first increase in hotel prices since September 2009 when average rates became more favourable month after month. In comparison to February 2009, hotel prices are seven percent less. These are the findings of the trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI) which is published monthly by the hotel price comparison site www.trivago.co.uk.

In many European cities hotel prices have dramatically increased

In 28 of the 50 cities listed in the tHPI, average hotel prices from January to February have increased or remained at the same level. Most striking is the increase in hotel rates in Venice (144 pounds), where prices have risen by 31 percent, due to the annual Venice Carnival. There has also been a noticeable increase in many Southern European cities, such as Barcelona (90 pounds, ten percent increase), Milan (117 pounds, ten percent increase) and Bologna (90 pounds, twelve percent increase). However, cheap hotel rates can still be found a little further from home; Budapest and Prague are two of the most favourable cities to visit in February, the average price for a hotel room are 55 and 57 pounds respectively. Krakow is the cheapest city in February; a standard double room is 50 pounds which is a decrease of nine percent in comparison to the previous month.

Hotel prices in the United Kingdom have increased by seven percent

British overnight accommodation rates have increased by seven percent to 98 pounds from January to February 2010. Average hotel prices in the United Kingdom are eight percent above the European tHPI average for February. Nationally, the cheapest average hotel prices can still be found in Wales (83 pounds), followed by Northern Ireland (88 pounds) and Scotland (94 pounds). England has the most expensive hotel prices in February at 100 pounds, an increase of nine percent in comparison to January. In Manchester (89 pounds) and Edinburgh (101 pounds) travellers have to pay eleven percent more than the previous month and in Birmingham (87 pounds) ten percent more. In London (124 pounds), which is host to International Fashion Week in February, average hotel prices are seven percent more than in January.

Subscribe for the monthly trivago price index by emailing: thpi@trivago.com.

The www.trivago.co.uk hotel price index shows the average overnight accommodation prices for the most popular European cities on trivago. The average prices for a standard double room are calculated on the basis of 50,000 daily price inquiries for overnight hotel stay generated through the trivago hotel price comparison. trivago stores all hotel enquiries for each month and therefore gives an overview of hotel accommodation prices for the upcoming month. The tHPI reflects the hotel prices within the European online hotel market: The overnight accommodation prices of 53 online travel agents and hotel chains create the average hotel prices for cities, regions and countries within Europe.

1. A graph of the price change in the most important European cities can be found here:

http://imgpe.trivago.com/contentimages/press/images/thpi_europaweit_feb_en.pdf

2. An overview of the average overnight accommodation prices for January – February 2010 can be found here:

http://imgpe.trivago.com/contentimages/press/images/thpi_0210_chart.pdf

3. An overview of the average overnight accommodation prices for July – December 2009 can be found here:

http://imgpe.trivago.com/contentimages/press/images/thpi_jul-dec09_uk.pdf

4. An overview of the average overnight accommodation prices for January – June 2009 can be found here:

http://imgpe.trivago.com/contentimages/press/images/thpi_jan-jun09_ukx.pdf

5. The tHPI for 2008 can be found here:

http://img.trivago.com/contentimages/press/images/thpi_1208_english.pdf

About trivago:

Travellers find the ideal hotel for the best rate on trivago. The online service compares the hotel rates of 53 booking sites for 400,000 hotels worldwide. Additionally trivago has integrated over 15 million hotel reviews and shows the overall rating for each hotel. trivago does not just compare the prices of online hotel booking sites, but also the rates. Users can see whether breakfast is included and if cancellation and payment by credit card is possible. trivago has the first “Freestyle” meta search: travellers are able to search by holiday region, city or hotel name. trivago with its headquarters in Dusseldorf, Germany was founded in 2005 and currently operates 20 international country platforms.