Irish hotels check out as among least costly

IRELAND HAS the cheapest hotels in western Europe, with prices just marginally more expensive than eastern Europe, according to figures from one of the world’s largest hotel booking websites.

The hotel price index, compiled from bookings made through Hotels.com at 130,000 hotels around the world, found Ireland had the sixth cheapest hotels out of 44 countries surveyed with an average room rate of €79, down 4 per cent on 2009. No other western European country had cheaper rates. In Europe, only the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary were found to be cheaper.

Dublin’s hotel prices were even lower than the national average at just €73, a drop of 6 per cent on 2009, making it one of the cheapest international cities in which to stay. Of 95 cities surveyed, Dublin ranked 18th cheapest. Average hotel prices in Dublin in 2010 were significantly cheaper than in neighbouring European capitals. In London, average hotel prices stood at €135 a night; Paris – €120; Amsterdam – €115; Rome – €113; Edinburgh – €109; and Lisbon – €83.

Kilkenny remained the most expensive place to stay in Ireland, despite a fall of almost 20 per cent in average room rates from €138 in 2009 to €112 in 2010. The southeast also had the second most expensive destination, with Wexford at €109. Third most expensive was Galway at €100, followed by Killarney at €96 and Tralee at €95. The cheapest place to stay in Ireland, the survey found, was Waterford, with an average hotel price of just €56.

The fall in Irish hotel prices came at the same time as an international increase in average hotel rates of 2 per cent. While prices in Ireland continued to fall, the drop of 4 per cent was far less severe than in 2009, when average Irish hotel prices fell by 21 per cent.

Seamus MacCormaic of Hotels.com said: “Despite having a reputation as an expensive destination, Ireland is now one of the most affordable destinations in the world and Dublin one of the least expensive major cities.”