Falling hotel prices in Europe’s capitals and holiday towns | trivago reports

In October, the average price for a standard double room in Europe is 110 pounds – a seven percent drop in comparison to last month. Prices have fallen in the majority of Europe's big cities, while sunny holiday destinations such as Crete (65 pounds), Rhodes (55 pounds) and the Algarve (54 pounds) are particularly affordable this month. These are the findings of the trivago Hotel Price Index (tHPI) prepared each month by the hotel price comparison website www.trivago.co.uk.

London, October 14th, 2011. European hotel rates have fallen seven percent in comparison to last month, from an average of 118 pounds in September to 110 pounds in October. Overnight costs sank in 35 of the top 50 cities listed in the hotel price index. In keeping with seasonal trends, hotel costs in European holiday destinations have fallen dramatically, giving late-Autumn travellers the opportunity to enjoy warm temperatures and sunny weather at a significantly reduced price. In Majorca, popular holiday destinations such as Alcudia (54 pounds, down 33 percent), Calla Millor (64 pounds, down 38 percent) and Playa de Palma (70 pounds, down 41 percent) are considerably cheaper than in previous months. Portuguese destinations such as Madeira (78 pounds, down four percent) and the Algarve (55 pounds, down 34 percent) are also very affordable, while hotel prices in Turkey's Alanya have dropped fifteen percent to 54 pounds per night. The same is true in France's Côte d'Azur, where overnight costs are down 22 percent in Cannes (106 pounds) and down 19 percent in Nice (93 pounds). The Greek islands are also affected, with Crete (65 pounds) and Rhodes (55 pounds) experiencing price falls of 26 percent and 30 percent respectively.

British hotel rates see minor dip

Hotel prices in the UK have fallen across the board in October, though the change has been less pronounced than in the rest of Europe. Scotland experienced the most significant reduction in prices, with hotel rates in both Edinburgh (106 pounds) and Glasgow (80 pounds) falling by fifteen and twelve percent, respectively. Hotel rates fell five percent in in Newcastle (85 pounds), four percent in Blackpool (64 pounds) and three percent in Bristol (86 pounds). London (171 pounds) and Liverpool (87 pounds) experienced only a one percent drop in prices, while Leeds (75 pounds) and Sheffield (68 pounds) saw a corresponding one percent increase in hotel rates. Overnight costs rose in three cities: Manchester saw a 10 percent climb to 103 pounds a night, Birmingham's hotel rates rose nine percent to 73 pounds, and Cardiff experienced a six percent hike to 87 pounds.

Reduced hotel rates throughout Europe

In comparison to last month, hotel rates sank eighteen percent in Barcelona (127 pounds) and Milan (139 pounds), while overnight costs in cities such as Copenhagen (123 pounds), Geneva (219 pounds) and Amsterdam (139 pounds) fell fifteen percent. Similar reductions in price are also to be found in Brussels, where a standard double room costs 117 pounds and therefore eleven percent less than last month. Both Budapest (68 pounds) and Lisbon (102 pounds) fell nine percent, and Dublin's hotel rates dropped eleven percent to 83 pounds per night.

The www.trivago.co.uk hotel price index shows the average overnight accommodation prices for the most popular European cities on trivago. Prices for a standard double room are calculated on the basis of 160,000 daily price inquiries for overnight hotel stays generated through the trivago hotel price comparison service. 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 100 online travel agents and hotel chains create the average hotel prices for cities, regions and countries within Europe.