British holidaymakers face hotel price increases

British holidaymakers are facing steep hotel price increases in many of the world's most popular tourist cities - despite the fact that the value of the pound has been strengthening against local currencies.

A new survey by Hotels.com has found that the average hotel prices rose in 69 out of 116 hotels from 2012 to 2013. The price remained the same in seven of the hotels surveyed and the price fell in only 40.

London prices rose from £110 in 2012 to £121 on average in 2013, but the biggest percentage rise last year was one of 22 per cent for New Orleans where a hotel room price shot up from £120 in 2012 to £146 in 2013. Source: Press Association.

Overall, Brits paying for hotels abroad would have forked out the most last year in Monte Carlo, where the average price was £198. Second was Muscat in Oman (£194) followed by New York (£185), Key West in Florida (£171) and Rio de Janeiro (£167).

Encouragingly for England football fans intending to travel to Brazil for this summer's World Cup, hotel prices in Rio actually fell last year - dipping 5 per cent.

Those looking for real bargains during trips abroad at the moment should head for Hanoi in Vietnam where average prices dipped 20 per cent last year to £39.

Even cheaper accommodation can be found in Phnom Penh in Cambodia where prices last year fell 16 per cent to £33 on average. Asian hotels occupied seven of the 10 places in the table listing the least-expensive accommodation destinations.

Best-value European destination in 2013 was the Polish city of Krakow where the average hotel price was £62.

Kate Hopcraft, of Hotels.com, said: "There is no doubt that European hotel prices were some of those most badly affected by the economic fallout. The fact that the eurozone recorded growth for 2013 is evidence that the economic crisis is easing, although not yet completely over.

"Many of the destinations worst hit by the downturn have seen hotel prices stabilise, with some experiencing healthy rises."

She went on: "Another phenomenon impacting global hotel prices is the huge rise in the number of sports fans travelling this year, with the Sochi Olympics and Para Olympics in February and March and the World Cup in Brazil."

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