Hotels.com Worldwide says United Kingdom and global hotel prices have fallen for the first time in four years.
Inverness, Scotland
Prices in the United Kingdom fell by 4% year-on-year in the third quarter, while international prices fell by 3%.Rates fell as hotels tried to entice hard-up travelers with cheap offers.
But the weakening pound, together with slight increases in European rates, meant that some continental hotels cost 30% more for UK holiday makers.
The average hotel price in the UK fell from £101 (US $151.78) in the third quarter last year to £97 (US $145.19) this year.
Prices in Scotland fell the most, with rates in Inverness, for example, falling by 15% to an average of £94 (US $140.70).
Bath, England
Bath was the most expensive place to stay, with an average room costing £142 ($US $212.56). Nottingham was the cheapest, with rates averaging just £65 ($US $97.29)."Price falls across the UK mean that there are currently great deals to be had, as more affordable accommodation is on offer," says David Roche, president of Hotels.com Worldwide.
And it wasn't just the UK where prices fell. Global rates were driven down by an average 5% price fall in the U.S, with rates in Las Vegas falling by 20%.
But the weak pound meant UK travelers derived less benefit from these price cuts.
David Roche
In fact, because rates in Europe actually rose in the third quarter, they ended up paying considerably more. In some cases, this was as much as a third more."However, European prices are starting to come down and there is likely to be an increasing number of good deals," says Roche.
The most expensive destination globally was Moscow, with the average room costing £207 (US $309.84). The cheapest in their index was Las Vegas, at £58 ($86.82).
The Hotels.com Hotel Price Index is based on prices paid by customers at 68,000 hotels across 12,500 locations around the world.
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