The Hotel Price Index™
Review of global hotel prices January — June 2014
1 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Introduction
The Hotels.com™ Hotel Price
IndexTM (HPI®) is a regular
report on hotel prices in major
destinations across the world.
The HPI is based on bookings
made on Hotels.com sites and
prices shown are those actually
paid by customers per room per
night, including taxes and fees,
rather than advertised rates.
Now in its eleventh year, the HPI
is respected as the definitive
report on hotel prices paid around
the world and is increasingly
used as a reference tool by
the media, hoteliers, financial
analysts, investors, tourism
bodies and academics.
The international scale of
Hotels.com, in terms of the
number of customers, properties
and destinations covered, makes
the Hotel Price Index one of the
most comprehensive benchmarks
available. It incorporates both chain
and independent hotels, as well
as options such as self-catering
and bed & breakfast properties.
The HPI started in 2004
and was set at 100. It tracks
all bookings across all star
ratings from 1-star to 5-star.
The HPI report focuses on
two main sources of data:
The first section (Chapter 1)
shows the global Hotel Price
Index for the first half of 2014,
with comparative data back to
2004. The Index is compiled from
all relevant transactions on
Hotels.com during this period,
weighted to reflect the size of each
market. By representing hotel
price movements in an index,
Hotels.com can illustrate the
actual price movements as
paid by consumers, without
foreign exchange fluctuations
distorting the picture.
The second section (Chapters
2-7) shows hotel prices across the
world per room per night as paid
by travellers from the UK in the
first six months of 2014 compared
with the same period in 2013.
This shows the changes in real
prices paid by UK consumers,
reflecting both movements in
exchange rates and hotel pricing.
In Chapter 4, figures are compiled
from global bookings to the UK in
all currencies. Prices throughout
are rounded to the nearest Pound
Sterling and percentage figures
to the nearest percentage point.
Chapter 8 covers the top overseas
destinations for UK travellers
and the top UK destinations
for visitors from overseas.
The final chapter focuses on
some additional travel facts
identified by Hotels.com.
Reports are also available
in other currencies and
languages. Please contact
press@hotels.co.uk. Follow
the discussions on Twitter
at #HotelExperts.
Published by Hotels.com in September 2014
1 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Foreword
Johan Svanstrom
President of the Hotels.com brand
Welcome to the latest edition of
the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index
(HPI), an in-depth report on the
movement in hotel prices paid
by hotel guests around the world
during the first six months of 2014.
years, while North America
was boosted by results from
the USA which posted the best
hotel occupancy levels of the
century in June, according
to Smith Travel Research.
There was a promising start to
the year for the travel industry
in general as demand for both
international tourism and business
travel remained strong. According
to figures from UNWTO (the
United Nations World Tourism
Organisation), international
tourist arrivals rose 5% between
January and April, with 460 million
tourists expected to travel abroad
between May-August 20141. The
GBTA (Global Business Travel
Association) also predicted that
global business travel spending
will hit a record $1.18 trillion in
2014, a 6.9% growth over 2013.2
For Asia and the Pacific, the
Index saw no movement either
up or down. Asia, in particular,
continued to offer excellent value
for travellers, while prices paid by
inbound visitors to Australia were
eased by the weaker Aussie Dollar.
This optimism, in combination with
generally strengthening economies
around the world, was reflected
in our HPI figures which showed
that the average price paid for a
hotel room around the world rose
by 4% during the first six months
of 2014, when compared with
the same period in 2013. This
was the highest rate of increase
since early 2012 and, for the first
time, we have two regions whose
regional HPIs have overtaken
their pre-economic crisis levels.
Two’s company
Latin America and the Caribbean
both achieved record results
over this period. The Caribbean
had the fastest rise in the current
HPI of 6%, taking it to the
highest individual region Index
figure ever documented. Latin
America continued the progress
seen in 2013 and also reached
its all-time half-yearly high.
Two regions reported 5% Index
growth. For Europe and Middle
East, this was the sharpest
increase in the region in six
2 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
So, what factors drove
the changes?
As well as a general rise in the
number of travellers, there are
four stand-out reasons behind
most of the price moves.
Firstly, the economic recovery
gathered greater momentum in
the first half of 2014, particularly
in Europe3, and this contributed
to higher prices paid across
the region and beyond, as
many European consumers
became more confident in
raising their travel spending.
Next were currency fluctuations
that played a major role in
determining whether prices paid
when travelling abroad either
rose or fell. For instance, UK
travellers were big beneficiaries
here as Sterling either remained
stable against already weaker
currencies, such as the Australian
Dollar and Indian Rupee, or
gained ground against others,
including the US Dollar and the
Euro. Conversely, hotel guests
from those countries found their
accommodation that much more
expensive when visiting Britain.
A third explanation was the civil
unrest in several key tourist
markets over this period. In Egypt,
the year started badly with a 25%
drop in visitor numbers in the
first six months4, according to the
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. This
Spain appeared to gain most out
of the troubles in these areas
with inbound tourism in the first
six months up 7% to more than
28 million visitors6 and prices
paid in the Costas and island
groups rising accordingly.
Finally, the two great global
sporting events of 2014 occurred
in the first half of the year. In
Sochi, daily visitor numbers
to the Olympic park exceeded
100,000 at times during the 17day Winter Games7 while Brazil
welcomed a million foreign visitors
for the World Cup8. Although
hotel prices obviously rose for
the duration of the tournaments,
both destinations coped well
with this huge influx of people.
The travel industry has come a
long way since those pioneer
days, opening up the world for
those seeking excitement and
adventure, or simply a wellearned break. More and more
destinations are recognising the
economic and social benefits of
developing their tourism potential
in a viable and sustainable way.
The potential for exploring more of
the world has never been greater.
At Hotels.com, we share that
enthusiasm for discovery. Being
in the industry, we probably
travel more than most for both
business and pleasure but have
never lost the thrill of taking that
first step on our next journey,
whether it’s for a weekend away
in our own country or the start
of a round-the-world trip.
The HPI tracks the trends in paid
hotel prices on a global basis,
revealing information on the
constant and dynamic shifts in
demand and supply. The trend
of booking online goes from
strength to strength and enables
everyone to take advantage
of this information. We hope
you enjoy reading our report.
1
A centennial celebration
During 2014, the world is
celebrating 100 years since the
birth of commercial aviation – the
St Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line
which provided the first scheduled
Source: http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2014-07-21/international-tourism-strong-peak-season-anticipated
Source: http://www.gbta.org/PressReleases/Pages/rls_072814.aspx?Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egbta%2Eorg%2Flists%2Fnews%2FAllitems_all%2Easpx
3
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/eu/forecasts/2014_winter_forecast_en.htm
4
Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/106415/Business/Economy/Egypt-tourist-numbers-decline--pct-in-June-yearony.aspx
5
Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/05/23/thailands-coup-threatens-tourism/
6
Source: http://www.iet.tourspain.es/es-ES/estadisticas/frontur/mensuales/Nota%20de%20coyuntura%20de%20Frontur.%20Junio%202014.pdf
7
Source: http://www.fis-ski.com/news-multimedia/news/article=sochi-2014-statistics.html
8
Source: http://www.copa2014.gov.br/pt-br/noticia/brasileiros-garantiram-uma-das-festas-mais-bonitas-do-mundo-afirma-presidenta-sobre-a-copa
9
Source: http://www.flying100years.com
10
Source: IATA
There was also a slowdown
in Thailand’s booming tourism
industry as political demonstrations
continued. Visitor numbers
decreased, particularly from the
important Chinese market5, and
prices fell, particularly in the main
beach resort areas as well as
Bangkok. Average prices paid
in Turkey and Ukraine were also
down in general for most travellers,
due to geopolitical tensions in
those countries.
air service across Tampa Bay,
Florida. There was one passenger
on that flight, the Mayor of St
Petersburg who had paid $400 at
auction for the 23-minute journey.
Now, more than eight million
people take a flight every day9 and
it is trending towards nine million10.
3 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
2
led to prices falling in the Red
Sea resorts such as Sharm-ElSheikh. However, the introduction
of enhanced security measures
in the area appears to have
stabilised the situation and the
Ministry has introduced several
measures to help hoteliers, such
as the postponement of any
electricity bills until 2015. They
are also targeting new markets
with high purchasing power,
such as India and China.
Contents
Introduction
1
Foreword
2
1.
Global price changes
5
2.
Price changes in global city destinations
Graphic: Global hotel price changes H1 2014 -v- H1 2013
3.
27
Price changes by country
Graphic: Global hotel price changes by country H1 2014 -v- H1 2013
4.
Focus on the UK
Graphic: UK hotel price changes H1 2014 -v- H1 2013
32
5.
Prices paid at Home and Away
36
6.
Where to stay for £100 a night
38
7.
Average room prices by star rating
40
8.
Travel habits
Top overseas destinations for UK travellers
Top UK destinations for visitors from overseas
44
9.
Travel talk
Chinese International Travel Monitor
World Cup Wrap-Up
Mobile takes off
45
16
About Hotels.com
50
For further information
50
4 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
1. Global price changes
This chapter examines the
movement in the Hotel Price
Index since 2004 on a global
and regional basis. It also
includes insight from the
Hotels.com senior management
team in each region to help explain
the more recent changes.
The average price of a hotel
room around the world rose by
4% during the first six months
of 2014, when compared with
the same period in 2013.
The half-yearly HPI has grown
consistently since the first half
of 2010 but this rate of increase
has not been seen since 2012.
The Hotel Price Index stood at 115
at the end of the first six months
of 2014, 15 points higher than at
its launch in 2004 and now only
four points off its all-time high of
119 set in the first half of 2007.
Of the six regions covered by the
HPI, the Index rose in four and
was flat in two. The Caribbean
recorded the highest rise with a
6% increase, overtaking its halfyearly pre-global recession peak
for the first time. Europe and the
Dublin, Ireland
5 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Middle East had its best result
since the first half of 2007, rising
5%. North America matched this
result and Latin America rose
3%. The two regions seeing no
increase were Asia and the Pacific.
More in-depth analysis into what
caused these changes and how
they influenced prices in individual
cities and countries can be found
below and in subsequent chapters.
HPI half-yearly breakdown from H1 2004 to H1 2014 globally
120
110
100
90
H1 2014
H2 2013
H1 2013
H2 2012
H1 2012
H2 2011
H1 2011
H2 2010
H1 2010
H2 2009
H1 2009
H2 2008
H1 2008
H2 2007
H1 2007
H2 2006
H1 2006
H2 2005
H1 2005
H2 2004
H1 2004
6 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
LatAm
Carolina Piber
General Manager LatAm
of the Hotels.com brand
The first half of 2014 was another
record-breaking period for the Latin
American HPI and is another step
forward in the upward trajectory
the region has witnessed in
recent years. There are several
factors that explain this strong
performance but not all the
countries in the region showed
the same travel behaviour.
Big, global sporting events
are definitely an interesting
opportunity to generate additional
attention and visibility from all
kinds of visitors from all sorts of
countries, not just the natural
feeder markets. Brazil has
benefited this year from hosting
the world football championship
and has definitely felt the effect
of a strong performance in the
accommodation sector. In local
currency, almost all of the 12 host
cities showed two-digit growth
compared with the same period
in 2013, mainly driven by stronger
international demand, whereas
Brazilians were more conservative
with their daily rate choices. The
high importance of this event also
created positive reinforcement in
neighbouring, smaller cities as
well. On the flip side, more heavily
business-oriented cities did not
replicate this pattern and some
even experienced a small decline.
7 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Another successful performer was
Mexico which has become one of
the strongest players in the region
and is undoubtedly a preferred
destination for its northern
neighbour. For many international
visitors, top beach destinations as
well as resorts continued to show
an increase in their average prices
paid, ranging from high single-digit
to double-digit growth. Mexico City,
one of the most important business
cities in the region, witnessed
another year of growth for most
travellers, particularly driven by
the strong domestic market.
Argentina and Colombia have
both seen a decrease in the
prices paid for accommodation.
Argentina experienced a sharper
decline, mainly driven by a softer
international demand. Buenos
Aires, both a business and leisure
destination, was one of the cities
with the highest decrease versus
the same period in the previous
year for many travellers.
Colombia continued the favourable
trend of 2013, showing attractive
prices for both domestic and
international travellers, mainly
due to an increase in supply
over the last 12 months.
HPI half-yearly breakdown for LatAm and the Caribbean from H1 2004 to H1 2014
150
140
130
120
110
100
Latin America
H1 2014
H2 2013
H1 2013
H2 2012
H1 2012
H2 2011
H2 2010
H1 2010
H2 2009
H1 2009
H2 2008
H1 2008
H2 2007
H1 2007
H2 2006
H1 2006
H2 2005
H1 2005
H2 2004
H1 2004
80
H1 2011
90
Caribbean
141 130
Caribbean equalled its peak
Continued growth for Latin America
• The Caribbean HPI leapt ahead in the first six months
of 2014 to reach 141, the highest individual region
Index figure ever recorded and a full eleven points
ahead of second place Latin America. Its previous
highest point of 136 was in the first half of 2007.
• The first six months of 2014 was another recordbreaking period for the Latin American HPI as it
reached 130, the highest since the Index began in
2004.
• Mirroring its first half 2013 performance, the 6%
growth rate was also the fastest increase of all the
regions.
• This represented a 3% increase over the same period
in 2013, taking the region to second place behind the
Caribbean in terms of its Index level. However, this was
one of the slowest growth rates globally with only Asia
and the Pacific trailing behind Latin America on no
change.
• Latin America has seen steady growth in its HPI for
almost two years, rising from just 119 in the first half of
2012. The previous half-yearly high was 129, also set
in the first half of 2007, before the global financial crisis
began to develop later that year.
8 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
EMEA
Matthew Walls
Vice President EMEA
of the Hotels.com brand
The average prices of hotels
purchased by global customers
across the Europe, Africa, Middle
East region rose 5% between
January and June 2014, compared
with the same period last year.
This is the fastest growth rate we
have seen for six years, taking the
regional price index to 110.
On the face of it, price rises
would not normally be a cause for
celebration but, in this case, we
view the rising index as a clear
reflection of the growing strength
of most European economies. As
the HPI is reflecting average rates
paid, the numbers can as much
be influenced by customers to
e.g. London trading up from 3 star
hotels to 4 stars as it can by price
rises for 3 star hotels.
This trading up on the part of
customers, both to higher quality
hotels and also to more expensive
destinations, is one of the clear
stories behind our half-year 2014
report.
Looking deeper into the data, we
can see material gains in strength
from hotels in the countries that
suffered worst from the global
recession. Average prices paid in
9 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Greece, Iceland and Ireland have
all risen considerably for most
travellers in the first six month of
the year.
Ongoing social unrest in the region
continued to negatively impact
hotel prices in Egypt, Turkey and
Ukraine. However, Spain recorded
a significant increase in inbound
tourism, particularly from the
traditional markets of France,
Germany and the UK, as a result of
the instability elsewhere, providing
a long-awaited boost to the
industry there, particularly along
the Costas and in the islands.
All things considered, however,
these numbers tell a great story of
EMEA customers.
HPI half-yearly breakdown for Europe and the Middle East from H1 2004 to H1 2014
150
140
130
120
110
100
Europe and the Middle East
Strong performance in Europe and the Middle East
• The 5% increase recorded by the regional HPI in
Europe and the Middle East in the first half of 2014
was its fastest rate of growth for six years. This was
also the second highest percentage increase amongst
the regions, equalling that of North America and just
behind the Caribbean on 6%.
• This took the regional HPI to 110, still six points
behind its half-yearly peak of 116 seen throughout
2007 and the first half of 2008, although only 10 points
higher than when the HPI began 10 years ago.
• HPI figures in this region have been in the doldrums
for the last four years with increases of no more
than 1-2% in each six month period, so this result
represented a strong move forward for the area.
10 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
110
H1 2014
H2 2013
H1 2013
H2 2012
H1 2012
H2 2011
H2 2010
H1 2010
H2 2009
H1 2009
H2 2008
H1 2008
H2 2007
H1 2007
H2 2006
H1 2006
H2 2005
H1 2005
H2 2004
H1 2004
80
H1 2011
90
The North American HPI continues
its climb since some tough days in
the second half of 2009 when our
Index fell to its lowest point. This
period, our 5% growth rate was the
second highest of all time and we
were just one point shy of our
all-time high for the half year
period.
What contributed to the growth
in North America? That answer
wouldn’t be complete without two
key factors: sports and cultural
events. From the Super Bowl and
the NBA Playoffs to the Boston
Marathon and World Pride, people
visited North American cities to
cheer on their favourite teams and
join kindred spirits in organised
festivities.
During the first half of 2014,
Toronto, Canada was host to World
Pride and attracted more than two
million people throughout the 10day long festival.
In the US, the Super Bowl finally
made its way to the country’s
biggest stage, as New York and
New Jersey hosted the big game
for the first time ever. Basketball
fans ventured between popular
Miami and San Antonio for the
basketball playoffs and thousands
of runners and supporters
alike raced to Copley Square
to celebrate the resiliency of
Bostonians and to remember those
impacted by the 2013 bombing.
Meanwhile, Denver experienced a
different kind of cultural movement
after marijuana retail sales were
legalised in the state at the start
of the year. Hotel searches on the
Hotels.com site for the city’s annual
April 20th rally increased by a
surprising 73% year over year.
Global wanderer and writer
Robert Louis Stevenson once
said: “For my part, I travel not to
go anywhere, but to go. I travel for
travel’s sake. The great affair is
to move.” For North America, this
HPI session was all about moving,
whether to sporting events, cultural
gatherings or simply to see the
local sights. It was a great love
affair of adventure told through
cheers, applause, celebrations and
fascinations.
11
Live music continued to serve
as an economic boom for many
US cities. The Essence Music
Festival in New Orleans set an
attendance record in 2014 and has
now become the country’s largest
African American music festival,
while the Coachella Music Festival
set an all-time gross revenue
record11 for the Southern California
town.
Source: http://www.axs.com/uk/coachella-once-again-sets-all-time-mark-for-gross-ticket-sales-14221
North America
Neha Parikh
Vice President North America
of the Hotels.com brand
11 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
HPI half-yearly breakdown for North America from H1 2004 to H1 2014
150
140
130
120
110
100
North America
Progress in North America
• The North American HPI recorded the second
highest growth rate of 5% in the January to June 2014
period, equalling the performance of Europe and the
Middle East.
• This took the regional Index to 118, just one point
behind its all-time half-yearly high of 119 reached in the
first half of 2007 so it is very close to its best ever level.
• The North American HPI has been climbing steadily
since the dog days in the second half of 2009 when it
fell to its lowest point of 97.
12 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
118
H1 2014
H2 2013
H1 2013
H2 2012
H1 2012
H2 2011
H2 2010
H1 2010
H2 2009
H1 2009
H2 2008
H1 2008
H2 2007
H1 2007
H2 2006
H1 2006
H2 2005
H1 2005
H2 2004
H1 2004
80
H1 2011
90
APAC
Abhiram Chowdhry
Vice President APAC
of the Hotels.com brand
While the remainder of the world
witnessed steady growth in hotel
prices, there was widespread
variance across the Asia-Pacific
region. Although it didn’t lose any
ground in the first half of 2014, it
was the only region globally not to
record an increase in prices. From
a consumer perspective, the good
news is Asia continued to represent
the best-value region globally for
accommodation.
In South East Asia, political
instability not only affected Thai
tourism, it also created significant
regional implications. In particular,
popular destinations like Singapore
and Cambodia, often part of a
multi-stop holiday for long-haul
travellers, were adversely affected.
However, with peace and order
thankfully returning to Bangkok,
we’re already seeing travellers
returning from key markets.
Despite static hotel rates, the
outlook is a positive one as
hoteliers focus on taking advantage
of what is the biggest outbound
tourism market: China. Chinese
travellers’ propensity to travel
continues to be driven by an
ever-growing middle class, more
relaxed visa requirements and a
host of low-cost carriers increasing
routes both domestically and
internationally. Taiwan, which
benefitted from a very healthy spike
in demand, thanks to an influx of
Chinese travellers driven by easing
visa restrictions, was one of few
13 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
anomalies in the APAC region
recording a price rise. Japan’s hotel
rates rebounded as the country
continued to benefit from an
improved economic environment
and consistent flow of global
travellers, also helped along by
the relaxation of visa requirements
for a number of South East Asian
countries.
Moving our focus to the Pacific,
visitors to Australia in particular
experienced some relief from the
strong price hikes of recent years,
despite enjoying growing visitor
numbers, as the Dollar began
its slide in the first half of 2013.
The mining boom shifted gears
impacting Perth and Darwin and
the natural resources sector also
saw prices in key Australian cities
correct. Looking forward, though,
both trans-Tasman neighbours
are poised for a golden period of
increased occupancy as they sit at
the top of the wish list for Chinese
travellers.
In summary, the region is well
placed to attract travellers from
around the globe with the offer of
value-for-money accommodation.
The availability of competitive and
easily accessible airfares from lowcost carriers throughout APAC will
see demand for travel to the region
accelerate as the burgeoning
Chinese traveller market underpins
the region’s growth.
HPI half-yearly breakdown for Asia and the Pacific from H1 2004 to H1 2014
150
140
130
120
110
100
Pacific
H1 2014
H2 2013
H1 2013
H2 2012
H1 2012
H2 2011
H2 2010
H1 2010
H2 2009
H1 2009
H2 2008
H1 2008
H2 2007
H1 2007
H2 2006
H1 2006
H2 2005
H1 2005
H2 2004
H1 2004
80
H1 2011
90
Asia
121 105
Pacific increases stalled
No change in Asia
• The Pacific was one of only two areas to record no
growth in its regional HPI during the first half of 2014,
alongside neighbouring Asia.
• As in the Pacific, there was no change in the Asian
HPI for the first six months of 2014, compared to the
same period in 2013. The last time the Asian HPI
registered any form of increase was in the first half of
2012 when it saw a 4% rise.
• The regional HPI has been fluctuating over each six
month period since the start of 2012. It now stands
at 121, in third place behind the Caribbean and Latin
America, so its overall position is still relatively strong.
• The Pacific HPI was at its highest in the second half
of 2007 when it reached 128.
14 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
• Standing at 105, the Index is only five points higher
than where it stood in 2004, so Asia continued to
represent the best value region for hotel prices.
• The area’s peak was reached in the second half of
2007 when its Index stood at 137, then the highest of
all the regions. Since then, it has lost 32 points and is
the lowest placed, five points behind Europe and the
Middle East.
Latin America
Latin America
Asia Asia
North America
North America
Caribbean
Caribbean
Europe Europe
& the Middle
& the East
Middle EastPacific Pacific
HPI half-yearly breakdown by region from H1 2004 to H1 2014
Asia
Caribbean
Europe & the Middle East
Latin America
North America
Pacific
an
& the Middle East
H1 2014
H2 2014
2013
H1
H1 2013
H2
H2
H1 2012
2013
H1 2012
H2
Latin America
North America
Pacific
H2
H1 2011
2012
H1 2011
H2
H2 2011
2010
H1
H1 2010
H2
H2
H1 2009
2010
H1 2009
H2
H1 2009
H2 2008
H1 2008
H2
H1 2014
H2 2013
H1 2013
H2 2012
H2 2013
H1 2013
H1 2012
H1 2014
H2 2011
H1 2011
H2 2010
H2 2012
H1 2010
H1 2012
H2
H1 2007
2008
H1
H2 2007
H2 2007
2006
H1
H1
H2 2006
H2 2006
2005
H1
H1
H2 2005
H2
H1 2004
2005
H1 2004
H2
H1 2004
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
15 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
2. Price changes in global city destinations
European prices increased
Due to the improving economic
position across Europe, UK
travellers paid higher prices in
With increased visitor numbers
across the country over this period,
prices paid in both London and
Edinburgh saw a healthy increase
of 9% to £127 and 7% to £102
respectively. Further details and
explanations of price moves in the
UK can be found in Chapter 4.
Other parts of Europe experienced
far higher rises. Monte Carlo
occupied the top of the overall
price chart on £223 and also had
the fastest rise in the HPI of 21%.
The popularity of the Baltic States
as city break destinations has been
on the rise for some time and they
have enjoyed a steady increase
in prices paid by UK travellers
but overall averages remain good
value. Over this period, Tallinn
added an extra 18% to £80, and
Riga, one of the 2014 European
Capitals of Culture, rose 6% to
£63. On the other hand, Vilnius
had the lowest prices paid in
Europe, following a 3% fall to £61.
Other double-digit rises were
found in two of the cities more
badly affected by the economic
crisis. Reykjavik was up 17%
to £110 and Dublin recovered
a further 10% to £87. Athens
managed a 3% rise to £76.
With holidaymakers turning away
from Egypt, Turkey and Thailand
because of the civil unrest, many
returned to Spain with inbound
tourism in the first six months
of the year up 7% to more than
28 million visitors with increases
mainly from traditional markets
such as the UK and France12. The
Balearics enjoyed their moment
in the sun with Mallorca up 16%
to £114 and Ibiza gaining 15% to
£121. Some Costa hotspots also
performed well with Torremolinos
up 5% to £66, Marbella up 4%
to £127. However, Benidorm
slid 9% to £73 and Alicante lost
1% to £64. The Canary Islands
also had a weaker result with
Lanzarote remaining on £76,
Tenerife dropping 1% to £95 and
Gran Canaria sliding 2% to £82.
The HPI has seen prices in Italy
faltering in recent years but here
Venice was up 9% to £140 and
Florence added 8% to £115.
Milan had a 4% boost to £111
but Rome fell 3% to £105.
Fort Lauderdale, USA
16 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Amongst other fallers, Moscow
led the way, down 13% to £143,
followed by Disneyland Paris,
down 12% to £100. With the
political disturbances in Istanbul,
the city lost 8% to £98 but,
elsewhere in Turkey, Antalya
was up 3% to £92. In Eastern
Europe, UK travellers also paid
less in Prague, down 7% to
£73, Budapest, down 3% to
£67, and Bratislava, losing the
same percentage to £63.
Source: http://www.iet.tourspain.es/es-ES/estadisticas/frontur/mensuales/Nota%20de%20coyuntura%20de%20Frontur.%20Junio%202014.pdf
The HPI painted a very happy
picture for UK travellers over this
period as prices paid by them
for their hotel accommodation
were lower or remained flat in
two-thirds of the destinations
covered by the report. The strength
of the Pound against several
major currencies during 2013,
including the Dollar, had a big
impact on these results. Of the 115
destinations included in the report,
average prices paid were down
in 63, flat in nine and up in 43.
more than half the European
destinations in the report, with the
scale of the increases considerably
outweighing the decreases.
12
The following sections reflect
the actual hotel prices paid by
travellers from the UK in Pound
Sterling (£) per night during the
first six months of 2014 compared
with prices paid in Pound Sterling
during the same period in 2013,
except in Chapter 4 where the data
shows prices paid in the UK by all
hotel guests from around the world.
The lowest average paid in
the destinations covered by
the HPI was in Phnom Penh
on £34 after a 3% fall.
The impact of the political
uncertainty in Thailand was
reflected in the size of the falls
recorded in many of its beach
resorts as well as the capital
city. Hua Hin was down 24%, the
highest drop in the HPI, to £65
and Pattaya fell 20% to £39 while
a 19% slide took Krabi to £63
and Bangkok to £51. Koh Samui
was down 10% to £74 and Phuket
dipped 3% to £66. The northern
city of Chiang Mai headed in the
same direction, down 9% to £40.
Elsewhere, Bali lost 12% to £91
and Siem Reap was down 10% to
£41.
In the metropolitan areas, there
were also double figure falls in
Ho Chi Minh City, down 19% to
£48, Taipei, down 16% to £92 and
Mumbai, down 15% to £85. The
list continued with Kuala Lumpur
down 11% to £74, Delhi down
10% to £79 and Hanoi down by
the same percentage to £37. An
increased supply of hotel rooms
in both Singapore and Hong
Kong contributed to the decrease
of 7% in the former to £132,
the highest rate in the region,
and 4% in the latter to £118.
The only increases in the region
recorded by the HPI were in
Japan and China, where a 13%
Riga, Latvia
17 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Source: http://www.keywestchamber.org/PDF/demographics.pdf
Source: http://therealdeal.com/issues_articles/plenty-of-beds-ahead/
Overall high prices meant that US
destinations still occupied four
of the top 10 places in the price
table. With occupancy rates rising
steadily over the last five years,
reaching 87% in 201313, Key West
was in third place in the chart on
£192 after a 7% rise. New York
held onto fourth place on £171,
in spite of a 4% fall. City officials
predicted the number of visitors
to the city would hit 55 million for
2014 and an additional 84 hotels
are expected to open between now
and 2016, mainly in Manhattan14.
San Francisco was the US
city in the HPI with the highest
rise, climbing 10% to £153 in
eighth place, and Boston was
in tenth on £152 following a 3%
increase. Las Vegas also logged
a strong result as the gambling
capital climbed 8% to £90.
increase took Kyoto and Osaka
to a respective £102 and £81
while Tokyo grew 7% to £109, in
spite of the continued weakness
in the Yen. Shanghai at £86 and
Beijing at £81 both grew 6%.
14
Of the 16 US destinations included
in the HPI, eight saw their average
drop, two were flat and just six
recorded an increase. The highest
fall was seen in Fort Lauderdale,
which lost 13% to £101, followed
by Lake Buena Vista, home to
Walt Disney World Resort, down
11% to £123, and the Grand
Canyon, down 8% to £78. Other
favourites seeing their averages
decline were Washington DC,
down 4% to £125, Miami, down
2% to £146 and Chicago, down
by the same percentage to £119.
More falls in Asia
Travellers from the UK visiting
Asia paid less for their hotel
accommodation in the region
virtually across the board, with
substantial falls in popular holiday
locations in Thailand, Cambodia
and Indonesia as well as many
of the area’s major cities. The
Japanese Yen, Indian Rupee
and Indonesian Rupiah all lost
ground during 2013 and eight of
the 10 lowest prices paid in the
HPI were in Asian destinations.
13
Time to visit the USA
According to the US International
Trade Administration, just under
four million British travellers
visited the USA in 2013 and the
UK remained the third largest
international visitor group. Anyone
travelling to the country this year
will find their budget stretching
that much further as the Dollar
has fallen 6% since the start of
2013 to the end of June 2014.
It was a different picture in
neighbouring New Zealand where
Auckland rose 14% to £78 and
Wellington grew 11% to £90.
Mixed picture in Latin America
With the continued weakness of
the Brazilian Real, prices paid were
down in the country’s two largest
cities, in spite of the boost given by
the visiting World Cup fans in June
and July. The average in Rio de
Janeiro fell 8% to £166, although
this still placed the city in seventh
place in the overall price table, and
Sao Paulo was down 5% to £114.
Bogota recorded a higher
decrease of 11% to £85 and a 5%
fall took Buenos Aires to £75.
The only increases recorded in
Rises and falls in the Middle
East and North Africa
Prices paid in Egypt had begun to
improve during 2013 but a return to
civil unrest towards the end of the
year, which continued into 2014,
had a bearing on visitor numbers
and consequently hotel prices
paid in the country. Generally a
popular winter sun destination,
there was a 24% drop amongst
the important European market
in the first two months of the year
while numbers from Asia and
the Pacific fell 42%15. The Red
Sea resort of Sharm-El-Sheikh
consequently fell 20% to £83
while Cairo dropped 17% to £92.
In the Emirates, a 9% increase
in room supply in Abu Dhabi16
contributed to an overall drop
of 14% in prices paid by UK
travellers to £96. On the other
hand, Dubai rose a further 4% to
£149, driven by its continued rise in
openings in the luxury hotel sector,
although it is still outside the Top
10 highest prices in the HPI.
In second place in the overall price
15
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
table, Muscat added a further 5%
to its average, taking it to £197 but
the highest increase in the region
was seen in Marrakech which
grew 11% to £100. Elsewhere,
an 8% fall took Jerusalem to
£117 and Doha to £111.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2583331/Egypt-tourist-numbers-drop-28-security-stepped-Sharm-el-Sheikh.html
Source: http://tcaabudhabi.ae/en/eservices/Pages/hotel-revenue-and-tourism-statistics.aspx
Melbourne led the way with an
18% fall to £88, Brisbane fell
16% to £95, Perth lost 13% to
£120 and even the most popular
Sydney trailed 11% to £122.
the region in the HPI were in
the emerging powerhouse of
Mexico where the resort town
of Cancun rose 16% to £170,
taking it to fifth place in the
overall price chart. The capital
Mexico City added 5% to £103.
18 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
16
Currency weakness led to
lower prices in Australia
Although the Australian Dollar
regained some ground against
the Pound at the start of the
year, the near 20% drop over
2013 made its impact felt on
hotel prices. Prices paid by UK
travellers in all four cities in the
HPI were down significantly.
Average hotel prices in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013
Destination
Monte Carlo
H1 2014
£223
H1 2013
£184
% change
Muscat
£197
Key West
£192
New York
H1 2014
£109
H1 2013
£112
% change
21%
Destination
Frankfurt
£188
5%
Munich
£107
£111
-3%
£179
7%
Vancouver
£107
£107
-1%
£171
£178
-4%
Barcelona
£105
£104
1%
Cancun
£170
£147
16%
Rome
£105
£108
-3%
Cannes
£168
£162
4%
Mexico City
£103
£98
5%
Rio de Janeiro
£166
£180
-8%
Kyoto
£102
£90
13%
San Francisco
£153
£139
10%
EDINBURGH
£102
£95
7%
Geneva
£153
£157
-3%
Fort Lauderdale
£101
£116
-13%
Boston
£152
£148
3%
Johannesburg
£101
£116
-12%
Dubrovnik
£149
£143
5%
Marrakech
£100
£90
11%
Dubai
£149
£144
4%
Disneyland Paris
£100
£114
-12%
Miami
£146
£150
-2%
Cape Town
£100
£102
-2%
Moscow
£143
£164
-13%
Bruges
£98
£96
3%
Venice
£140
£128
9%
Toronto
£98
£107
-8%
Zurich
£139
£139
0%
Istanbul
£98
£106
-8%
Seattle
£133
£132
0%
Abu Dhabi
£96
£111
-14%
Singapore
£132
£142
-7%
Seoul
£95
£99
-4%
Los Angeles
£132
£134
-1%
Brisbane
£95
£114
-16%
Nice
£128
£122
5%
Tenerife
£95
£96
-1%
Marbella
£127
£122
4%
Cairo
£92
£111
-17%
Paris
£127
£127
0%
Taipei
£92
£109
-16%
LONDON
£127
£116
9%
Antalya
£92
£89
3%
Washington DC
£125
£131
-4%
Brussels
£91
£95
-4%
Lake Buena Vista
£123
£139
-11%
Bali
£91
£103
-12%
Sydney
£122
£137
-11%
Las Vegas
£90
£83
8%
Ibiza
£121
£105
15%
Wellington
£90
£81
11%
Perth
£120
£139
-13%
Vienna
£89
£91
-2%
St. Petersburg
£120
£116
3%
Melbourne
£88
£108
-18%
Chicago
£119
£122
-2%
Dublin
£87
£79
10%
Hong Kong
£118
£122
-4%
Shanghai
£86
£81
6%
Jerusalem
£117
£128
-8%
Mumbai
£85
£101
-15%
Florence
£115
£107
8%
Bogota
£85
£96
-11%
Mallorca
£114
£98
16%
Sharm El Sheikh
£83
£104
-20%
Sao Paulo
£114
£119
-5%
Gran Canaria
£82
£83
-2%
Amsterdam
£111
£110
1%
Madrid
£81
£81
0%
Doha
£111
£121
-8%
Osaka
£81
£72
13%
Milan
£111
£107
4%
Beijing
£81
£76
6%
New Orleans
£111
£111
0%
Berlin
£81
£78
4%
Reykjavik
£110
£95
17%
Tallinn
£80
£68
18%
San Diego
£110
£108
2%
Delhi
£79
£88
-10%
Tokyo
£109
£102
7%
Lisbon
£79
£79
0%
19 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
-3%
Average hotel prices in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013 (continued)
Destination
H1 2014
H1 2013
% change
Destination
H1 2014
H1 2013
% change
Auckland
£78
£68
14%
Torremolinos
£66
£63
5%
Grand Canyon
£78
£85
-8%
Hua Hin
£65
£86
-24%
£64
£65
-1%
Bucharest
£77
£77
0%
Alicante
Athens
£76
£74
3%
Riga
£63
£60
6%
Lanzarote
£76
£76
0%
Bratislava
£63
£65
-3%
Orlando
£75
£73
3%
Krabi
£63
£77
-19%
Buenos Aires
£75
£79
-5%
Krakow
£62
£63
-2%
Kuala Lumpur
£74
£83
-11%
Vilnius
£61
£63
-3%
Koh Samui
£74
£82
-10%
Bangkok
£51
£63
-19%
Benidorm
£73
£80
-9%
Ho Chi Minh City
£48
£60
-19%
Prague
£73
£78
-7%
Siem Reap
£41
£45
-10%
Albufeira
£72
£74
-4%
Chiang Mai
£40
£44
-9%
Goa
£68
£68
0%
Pattaya
£39
£49
-20%
Budapest
£67
£69
-3%
Hanoi
£37
£41
-10%
Warsaw
£67
£65
3%
Phnom Penh
£34
£35
-3%
Phuket
£66
£68
-3%
The biggest percentage price rises in H1 2014
compared with H1 2013
The biggest percentage price falls in H1 2014
compared with H1 2013
Destination
Monte Carlo
H1 2014
£223
H1 2013
£184
% change
21%
Tallinn
£80
£68
18%
Sharm El Sheikh
£83
£104
-20%
Reykjavik
£110
£95
17%
Pattaya
£39
£49
-20%
Mallorca
£114
£98
16%
Bangkok
£51
£63
-19%
Cancun
£170
£147
16%
Krabi
£63
£77
-19%
Ibiza
£121
£105
15%
Ho Chi Minh City
£48
£60
-19%
Auckland
£78
£68
14%
Melbourne
£88
£108
-18%
Kyoto
£102
£90
13%
Cairo
£92
£111
-17%
Osaka
£81
£72
13%
Brisbane
£95
£114
-16%
Marrakech
£100
£90
11%
Taipei
£92
£109
-16%
Wellington
£90
£81
11%
Mumbai
£85
£101
-15%
Dublin
£87
£79
10%
Abu Dhabi
£96
£111
-14%
San Francisco
£153
£139
10%
Perth
£120
£139
-13%
Venice
£140
£128
9%
Moscow
£143
£164
-13%
LONDON
£127
£116
9%
Fort Lauderdale
£101
£116
-13%
20 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Destination
Hua Hin
H1 2014
£65
H1 2013
£86
% change
-24%
The biggest percentage price rises in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013
30%
20%
10%
-10%
Monte Carlo
Tallinn
Reykjavik
Mallorca
Cancun
Ibiza
Auckland
Kyoto
Osaka
Marrakech
Wellington
Dublin
San Francisco
Venice
LONDON
0%
-20%
Monte Carlo, Monaco
21 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
The biggest percentage price falls in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013
Fort Lauderdale
Moscow
Perth
Abu Dhabi
Mumbai
Taipei
Brisbane
Cairo
Melbourne
Ho Chi Minh City
Krabi
Bangkok
Pattaya
Sharm El Sheikh
Hua Hin
30%
20%
10%
0%
-10%
-20%
-30%
Hua Hin, Thailand
22 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Miami, USA
New Year fireworks
Party cities
City beer festivals
Destination
Price
Destination
Price
Destination
Price
Berlin
£81
Bangkok
£51
Bangkok
£51
Beijing
£81
Benidorm
£73
Budapest
£67
Hong Kong
£118
Berlin
£81
Prague
£73
Sydney
£122
Dublin
£87
Mumbai
£85
LONDON
£127
Ayia Napa
£87
Brussels
£91
Paris
£127
Amsterdam
£111
Munich
£107
Miami
£146
Ibiza
£121
Amsterdam
£111
Dubai
£149
Las Vegas
£123
Hong Kong
£118
Boston
£152
Rio de Janeiro
£166
Sydney
£122
New York
£171
New York
£171
LONDON
£127
Christmas Markets
Haunted cities
Destination
Price
Destination
Price
Budapest
£67
Brisbane
£95
Prague
£73
Cape Town
£100
Tallinn
£80
EDINBURGH
£102
Berlin
£81
Philadelphia
£110
Vienna
£89
New Orleans
£111
Brussels
£91
Chicago
£119
Bruges
£98
Washington DC
£125
Nuremberg
€109
Paris
£127
St Petersburg
£120
LONDON
£127
Venice
£140
Singapore
£132
23 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Cities where the Pound is strongest
Top Beatles destinations
Cities in cocktail names
Destination
Price
Destination
Price
Destination
Price
Kuala Lumpur
£74
Prague
£73
Berlin
£81
Delhi
£79
Buenos Aires
£75
Marrakech
£100
Beijing
£81
LIVERPOOL
£80
Barcelona
£105
Ottawa
£88
Las Vegas
£90
Chicago
£119
Wellington
£90
Hamburg
£93
LONDON
£127
Abu Dhabi
£96
Amsterdam
£111
Paris
£127
Sydney
£122
Washington DC
£125
Singapore
£132
Bern
£123
LONDON
£127
Moscow
£143
Washington DC
£125
San Francisco
£153
Miami
£146
Singapore
£132
New York
£171
New York
£171
Barcelona, Spain
24 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Global hotel price changes in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013
San Francisco
£153 +10%
Las Vegas
£123 -11%
Bogota
£85 -11%
New York
£171 -4%
New Orleans
£111 0%
Cancun
£170 +16%
Rio de Janeiro
£166 -8%
Buenos Aires
£75 -5%
Key :
+
–
=
Global hotel price changes in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013 (continued)
St Petersburg
£120 +3%
Muscat
£197 +5%
Berlin
£81 +4%
Mumbai
£85 -15%
Beijing
£81 +6%
LONDON
£127 +9%
Tokyo
£109 +7%
Moscow
£143 -13%
Hong Kong
£118 -4%
Pattaya
£39 -20%
Marrakech
£100 +11%
Athens
£76 +3%
Singapore
£132 -7%
Cape Town
£100 -2%
Cairo
£92 -17%
Dubai
£149 +4%
Perth
£120 -13%
26 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Sydney
£122 -11%
Key :
+
–
=
3. Price changes by country
During the first half of 2014, UK
travellers paid less for their hotel
accommodation in more than half
of the countries included in the
HPI, as a stronger currency helped
lower prices abroad, although there
were still some impressive doubledigit increases in certain markets.
The UK was amongst the risers
with an increase of 8% to £93,
one of its strongest results in
several years, and indeed Europe
led the way with gains over the
same period in 2013 as the
economic recovery continued.
Monaco had the highest increase
of 21%, placing it at the top of
the overall price table on an
average £223 per night. Bulgaria
rose 20% but still registered a
much more affordable £70 and
Estonia was up 18% to £80.
Iceland added 15% to £109 and
Ukraine rose 11% to £110. Greece
was another strong performer,
recording a 10% uplift to £97.
Japan had the highest increase
in the region of 7%, taking
its average paid to £98, and
China also recorded a good
performance, up 6% to £81.
Mexico was the star performer
in Latin America, up 11% to
£136. At the other end of the
spectrum, Colombia lost 17% to
£86 and Costa Rica fell 16% to
£83. With its weaker currency,
Brazil dropped 13% to £128
and Chile fell 8% to £89.
With its ongoing civil unrest, Egypt
dropped 13% to £80 as several
governments advised their citizens
to avoid travelling to parts of the
country. Three countries in the
Moving in the other direction,
the only double-digit fall was
in Norway, down 12% to £116.
Russia and the Czech Republic
dropped 7% to £136 and £72
respectively. There were plenty
of other single figure drops in the
region. Switzerland was the second
highest placed European country
in the price table in sixth place
on £138, in spite of a 2% slip.
Asia had some of the faster
fallers, bringing prices paid down
to some of the lowest averages
in the HPI. Vietnam fell 18%
to £50, Thailand dropped 15%
to £59 and Cambodia lost the
same percentage to £38, the
lowest rate paid by UK travellers
in the HPI. A 12% decrease
took Taiwan to £88, Indonesia
to £81 and the Philippines to
£63. India fell 10% to £73 and
Malaysia dropped 9% to £79.
Cancun, Mexico
27 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
region saw an 8% fall, taking Saudi
Arabia to £138, Qatar to £111
and Tunisia to £67. Oman sat in
second place in the overall price
table on £189, following a 1% rise,
while prices paid in Israel grew
5% to £149 in fourth place and
the United Arab Emirates were flat
on £139 in fifth. Further down the
table, Morocco added 9% to £91.
With its weak Dollar, Australia
lost 14% to £104 while New
Zealand added 5% to £80.
Of the 68 countries included
in the report, UK travellers
paid less in 36, the same
in four and more in 28.
Average hotel prices by country in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013
Destination
H1 2014
H1 2013
% change
Destination
Monaco
£223
£184
21%
UNITED KINGDOM
£93
£86
8%
Oman
£189
£186
1%
Morocco
£91
£83
9%
Mauritius
£159
£171
-7%
Germany
£91
£90
1%
H1 2014
H1 2013
% change
Israel
£149
£142
5%
Spain
£91
£87
4%
United Arab Emirates
£139
£138
0%
Chile
£89
£97
-8%
Switzerland
£138
£141
-2%
Belgium
£89
£92
-3%
Saudi Arabia
£138
£150
-8%
Austria
£89
£90
-1%
Russia
£136
£147
-7%
Taiwan
£88
£100
-12%
Mexico
£136
£123
11%
Colombia
£86
£104
-17%
Singapore
£132
£142
-7%
Slovenia
£85
£90
-5%
Brazil
£128
£147
-13%
Portugal
£85
£87
-2%
Croatia
£126
£119
6%
Costa Rica
£83
£99
-16%
USA
£119
£118
1%
Ireland
£82
£76
7%
Norway
£116
£133
-12%
China
£81
£77
6%
Puerto Rico
£116
£117
-1%
Indonesia
£81
£92
-12%
Sweden
£112
£119
-6%
Estonia
£80
£68
18%
Qatar
£111
£121
-8%
Egypt
£80
£92
-13%
Italy
£111
£109
2%
New Zealand
£80
£76
5%
Finland
£110
£107
3%
Argentina
£79
£81
-2%
Denmark
£110
£108
1%
Malaysia
£79
£87
-9%
£73
£81
-10%
Ukraine
£110
£99
11%
India
Iceland
£109
£95
15%
Czech Republic
£72
£78
-7%
France
£104
£104
0%
Romania
£71
£71
0%
Australia
£104
£120
-14%
Bulgaria
£70
£58
20%
Canada
£102
£108
-5%
Hungary
£67
£69
-3%
South Africa
£101
£104
-3%
Tunisia
£67
£73
-8%
Netherlands
£99
£99
0%
Latvia
£64
£61
5%
Luxembourg
£99
£92
8%
Slovakia
£63
£66
-4%
Japan
£98
£92
7%
Philippines
£63
£71
-12%
£63
£61
2%
Greece
£97
£89
10%
Poland
Cyprus
£96
£89
8%
Lithuania
£61
£60
1%
Turkey
£95
£99
-4%
Thailand
£59
£69
-15%
South Korea
£94
£97
-2%
Vietnam
£50
£61
-18%
Malta
£94
£90
5%
Cambodia
£38
£45
-15%
28 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Hanoi, Vietnam
The biggest percentage price rises in H1 2014
compared with H1 2013
The biggest percentage price falls in H1 2014
compared with H1 2013
Destination
H1 2014
H1 2013
% change
Destination
H1 2014
H1 2013
% change
Monaco
£223
£184
21%
Vietnam
£50
£61
-18%
Bulgaria
£70
£58
20%
Colombia
£86
£104
-17%
Estonia
£80
£68
18%
Costa Rica
£83
£99
-16%
Iceland
£109
£95
15%
Thailand
£59
£69
-15%
Ukraine
£110
£99
11%
Cambodia
£38
£45
-15%
Mexico
£136
£123
11%
Australia
£104
£120
-14%
Greece
£97
£89
10%
Egypt
£80
£92
-13%
Brazil
£128
£147
-13%
Norway
£116
£133
-12%
Indonesia
£81
£92
-12%
Philippines
£63
£71
-12%
Taiwan
£88
£100
-12%
India
£73
£81
-10%
29 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
30 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
China
£81 +6%
South Africa
£101 -3%
France
£104 0%
Lithuania
£61 +1%
Mexico
£136 +11%
Germany
£91 +1%
USA
£119 +4%
Taiwan
£88 -12%
Australia
£104 -14%
Oman
£189 +1%
Spain
£91 +4%
Switzerland
£138 -2%
Average hotel prices by country in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013
250
200
150
31 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
India
£73 -10%
United Arab
Emirates
£139 0%
New Zealand
£80 +5%
Egypt
£80 -13%
Japan
£98 +7%
Monaco
£223 +21%
Ukraine
£110 +11%
UNITED
KINGDOM
£93 +8%
Brazil
£128 -13%
South Korea
£94 -2%
Vietnam
£50 -18%
Singapore
£132 -7%
Average hotel prices by country in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013 (continued)
250
200
150
100
50
As the world’s economy improves,
the outlook for global outbound
tourist numbers is healthy with
4%-5% growth forecast quoted
by IPK World Travel Monitor for
2014. The UK outperformed that
prediction in the first five months
of the year with an increase in
overseas visitor numbers of 7%,
according to Visit Britain figures,
with European inbound tourism
seeing the highest increases17.
The UK economy also achieved
healthy results in the first quarter,
up by 0.8%, maintaining a trend
seen throughout much of 2013
as a more broad-based recovery
continued, with a forecast of 3%
growth for the full year 201418.
According to Smith Travel
Research, the UK has the most
new hotel rooms under contract for
construction in Europe with a total
of 41,831 rooms, ten times that of
France19.
HPI data shows that these and
other factors helped to give a 2%
boost to the average prices paid by
all travellers in the UK to a figure
of £105 in the first half of 2014,
compared with the same period in
2013. The rises were spread across
the country as all but eight of the
46 destinations included in the HPI
saw their figures rise.
London is headed for another
record-breaking year for visitor
numbers as the capital received
more than 3.6 million overseas
visits in the first three months of
2014, up 9% on the same period
in 2013, resulting in the best ever
first quarter tourism numbers in
the city’s history20. The average
paid there by all international and
domestic visitors rose 4% to £137,
taking it to second place in the
price table.
Some of the most popular holiday
spots in the country painted a
different picture as both Windsor
and the Cotswolds fell 5% to £115
and £90 respectively, with Jersey
down 4% to £99 and the Lake
District down 3% to £85, while
Canterbury slipped 2% to £82.
However, Guernsey did not share
the fate of its neighbouring island
as its average rose 6% to £115.
In Northern Ireland, Belfast had
one of the more robust results, up
12% to £81, boosted by events
such as the start of the Giro d’Italia
in May, while Derry/Londonderry
was one of the fallers, down 1%
to £69 as its year as the first UK
City of Culture came to an end. In
Wales, Cardiff was up 4% to £76
and Swansea rose 2% to £72. Of
the destinations included in the
HPI, travellers found the best value
in Bradford, down 2% to £49 a
night.
17
Scottish destinations recorded
some of the strongest results
with Dundee up 15% to £90,
Aberdeen climbing 14% to £118
and Glasgow, preparing for the
Commonwealth Games in July
and August this year, gaining 12%
to £82. Perth grew 8% to £70
whereas Edinburgh saw a smaller
raise, up 4% to £107. St Andrews
had the highest overall average
paid in the HPI once again, after a
6% rise to £161.
Healthy results were also seen in
England with Cambridge up 13%
to £110, Bristol up 11% to £85 and
Coventry up 10% to £55. Three
destinations had 9% increases:
Oxford on £126, Leeds on £76 and
Southampton on £75.
32 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
18
This chapter covers the prices paid
in the UK by all travellers.
Source: http://www.visitbritain.org/Images/May%202014%20IPS%20Memo%20with%20charts_tcm29-42069.pdf
Source: http://www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2014/05/cbi-upgrades-growth-forecast-but-warns-political-risk-could-hold-back-investment
19
Source: www.hotelsnewsnow.com/Article/14060/STR-Global-Europe-pipeline-for-June
20
Source: http://www.londonandpartners.com/media-centre/press-releases/2014/140710-london-on-course-for-another-year-of-recordbreaking-visitor-numbers-in-2014
4. Focus on the UK
Average price per room per night in H1 2014 compared to H1 2013 across the UK
Dundee
£90 +15%
Edinburgh
£107 +4%
Glasgow
£82 +12%
St. Andrews
£161 +6%
Belfast
£81 +12%
Lake District
£85 -3%
Leeds
£70 +5%
Liverpool
£84 +7%
Oxford
£126 +9%
Cardiff
£76 +4%
London
£137 +4%
Bristol
£85 +11%
Southampton
£75 +9%
Key :
+
–
33 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Brighton
£89 +3%
Average price per room per night in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013 across the UK
Destination
H1 2014
H1 2013 % change
6%
Destination
Canterbury
H1 2014
£82
H1 2013 % change
£84
-2%
St Andrews
£161
£153
Glasgow
£82
£74
12%
London
£137
£131
4%
Oxford
£126
£115
9%
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
£81
£76
6%
Bath
£119
£115
3%
Belfast
£81
£72
12%
Durham
£78
£73
6%
Aberdeen
£118
£104
14%
Guernsey
£115
£109
6%
Cardiff
£76
£74
4%
Windsor
£115
£121
-5%
Leeds
£76
£70
9%
Cambridge
£110
£98
13%
Southampton
£75
£69
9%
Edinburgh
£107
£103
4%
Bournemouth
£73
£72
2%
Jersey
£99
£104
-4%
Swansea
£72
£71
2%
Stratford Upon Avon
£95
£90
5%
Perth
£70
£65
8%
York
£94
£89
6%
Derry/Londonderry
£69
£70
-1%
Birmingham
£69
£67
2%
Cheltenham
£90
£84
7%
Cotswolds
£90
£95
-5%
Isle of Wight
£68
£67
2%
Dundee
£90
£78
15%
Northampton
£67
£64
5%
Brighton
£89
£87
3%
Sheffield
£65
£66
-1%
Portsmouth
£87
£81
7%
Leicester
£63
£63
1%
Reading
£86
£80
8%
Derby
£63
£62
2%
Inverness
£86
£85
1%
Nottingham
£62
£61
2%
Lake District
£85
£88
-3%
Scarborough
£60
£58
4%
Blackpool
£60
£58
2%
Manchester
£85
£80
6%
Bristol
£85
£76
11%
Coventry
£55
£51
10%
Liverpool
£84
£78
7%
Bradford
£49
£50
-2%
St Petersburg, Russia
34 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Top spenders
This section looks at the average
price paid for a hotel room in
the UK by visiting nationality.
This shows that, of the 36 nations
included in the report, only four
paid less during the first half of
2014, with one the same and
the remaining 31 parting with
more, compared with the same
period in 2013. This is in keeping
with information in the previous
section of this chapter which
showed that prices in the UK
rose by 2% over this period.
With a spread of £74 a night
between the top and bottom of
the table, it was visitors from the
Middle East who spent the most
to stay in the UK once again, in
spite of a fall of 6% to £169, but still
well ahead of others in the table.
The Top 10 was filled by several
nations who had to travel long-haul
to reach the UK. These included
Mexico, up 4% in second place
on £146 as the most generous
Latin American country, Brazil in
third on £141 with no change on
last year and Singapore on £138,
up 7% to £138 as the highest
placed Asian country, tied fifth
with the USA following a 2% rise.
The Europeans parting with
the most in the UK were the
Russians in fourth place on £140
after a 13% increase, the highest
in the HPI. This percentage
increase was also paid by the
Taiwanese on £117 at No 19 and
the Spanish on £111 at No 26.
down 1% to £133 at No 10 and
Hong Kong down by the same
percentage to £122 at No 17.
The last 13 places were filled by
European countries. Travellers
from the Czech Republic were at
the bottom of the table on £95 in
spite of a rise of 2%, with those
from Poland and Ireland next on
£99, with the former up 8% and
the latter up 6%. The two largest
inbound markets to the UK in
201321 were the French, up 6% at
No 30 in the chart on £106, and the
Germans, up 4% at No 32 on £101.
Other high risers included the
Greeks, up 10% to £105 at
No 31, while a 10% rise took
Turkey to £137 in seventh place
and India to £136 in eighth.
As well as the Middle East, the
only other fallers were Australia,
down 2% to £115 at No 23, China
Rank
Country/Region
H1 2014
H1 2013 % change
Rank
Country/Region
H1 2014
H1 2013 % change
1
Middle East
£169
£180
-6%
19=
Taiwan
£117
£104
13%
2
Mexico
£146
£141
4%
19=
New Zealand
£117
£109
7%
Denmark
£116
£111
5%
3
Brazil
£141
£141
0%
21=
4
Russia
£140
£125
13%
21=
Finland
£116
£110
5%
5=
USA
£138
£135
2%
23=
Australia
£115
£118
-2%
5=
Singapore
£138
£129
7%
23=
Belgium
£115
£108
6%
Iceland
£113
£112
1%
7
Turkey
£137
£124
10%
25
8=
India
£136
£124
10%
26
Spain
£111
£98
13%
8=
Argentina
£136
£135
1%
27
Austria
£110
£104
6%
10
China
£133
£134
-1%
28=
Italy
£107
£99
8%
Portugal
£107
£99
8%
11
South Africa
£132
£128
3%
28=
12
Japan
£130
£126
3%
30
France
£106
£100
6%
13
Switzerland
£129
£125
3%
31
Greece
£105
£95
11%
14
Norway
£128
£127
1%
32=
Netherlands
£101
£97
5%
Germany
£101
£97
4%
Sweden
£126
£121
4%
16
Canada
£124
£118
5%
34=
Ireland
£99
£93
6%
17
Hong Kong
£122
£123
-1%
34=
Poland
£99
£91
8%
18
South Korea
£119
£116
3%
36
Czech Republic
£95
£93
2%
21
15
32=
Source: http://www.visitbritain.org/insightsandstatistics/inboundtourismfacts/
The average price paid for a hotel room in the UK in H1 2014 compared with H1 2013 by visiting country
35 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Zurich, Switzerland
5. Prices paid at Home and Away
This chapter looks at how much the different nationalities paid on average
when travelling abroard and in their own countries in the first half of 2014.
Travelling abroad
UK travellers again made the Top
10 in the table of average prices
paid by different nationalities when
travelling overseas in fifth place on
£103, closely followed by both the
Japanese as the highest paying
Asian nation and the Brazilians on
£102 per room night.
Travellers from Switzerland still
paid the most when travelling
outside their own borders, with an
average of £108 per room night,
followed by the Norwegians and
Argentineans tied in second place
on £106, making them the highest
paying Latin American nation.
At the other end of the scale were
three Asian countries. Travellers
from Malaysia were the savviest
with an average spend of £76,
followed by the Taiwanese on £79
and hotel guests from Hong Kong
on £83.
Travelling at home
The average rate for Britons
staying in their own country was
£85, putting them in seventh place,
tied with the South Koreans.
It was Swiss travellers who again
paid the most at home, averaging
£125 for a night domestically,
followed by Norway in second
place on £108 and Singapore in
third on £103. European nations
dominated the top of the chart
once again, taking six of the first 10
places.
Those finding best value at home
were travellers from Malaysia and
Thailand on £48 per room night,
followed by the Indians on £52. The
savviest Latin American travellers
at home were the Argentineans
on £58 per room night, while the
Portuguese on £59 took this title for
the Europeans.
36 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
More at home or away?
Of the 32 countries analysed, 27
paid more abroad than at home
with several having a significant
gap between the two sums. The
Argentineans spent £48 a night
more on average when travelling
abroad, followed by the Indians
on £42 and the Thais on £38. The
UK was in this category with a £18
difference.
Only five nations paid more at
home than away with travellers
from Singapore once again with the
greatest difference, spending £19
more domestically than abroad. The
Swiss followed with a £17 variation
and the Danes and Norwegians
with £3 and £2 respectively.
Average room prices paid by travellers when travelling overseas
versus those paid within their own countries in H1 2014
Home
Away
0
15
30
45
60
75
90
105
120
135
0
15
30
45
60
75
90
105
120
135
Switzerland
Norway
Argentina
USA
UNITED KINGDOM
Japan
Brazil
Sweden
China
Australia
New Zealand
Austria
Ireland
Russia
India
Denmark
Mexico
Colombia
Canada
South Korea
Italy
France
Thailand
Finland
Spain
Portugal
Germany
Singapore
Netherlands
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Malaysia
37 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Pisa, Italy
6. Where to stay for £100 a night
Hotels with the same star
classification share many
characteristics but price is not
necessarily one of them. In this
chapter, Hotels.com examined the
star rating that the sum of £100
or less could have bought during
the first half of 2014 in 59 major
cities around the world to help
consumers make a more informed
choice of where to stay.
In the luxury category, UK travellers
could pick either the Italian
medieval city of Pisa or the Polish
capital of Warsaw where 5-star
accommodation was available for
£100 a night or less on average
over this period.
With many hotel prices paid by
UK travellers falling, there was a
much wider selection in the 4-star
range with 23 destinations around
the world, both close to home
and farther afield. Amongst the 10
European representatives were
Berlin, Madrid and Prague, while
the eight Asian choices included
Bali, Bangkok and Beijing. Ten
thousand miles away from the
UK, there was Melbourne and
the remaining four at this rating
comprised the eclectic selection
of Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Las
Vegas and Marrakech.
Edinburgh featured in the 3-star
classification alongside nine
other European pearls such as
Barcelona, Nice and Rome. There
were fewer Asian names with only
Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore,
Taipei and Tokyo at this level.
Orlando, Toronto and Vancouver
were the North American
representatives while Dubai and
Sydney completed this grouping.
With prices rising in the capital,
London moved down into the
2-star category for the first time as
38 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
one of three Europeans including
Venice and Zurich. They joined
a collection of primarily US cities
spread across the country from
Los Angeles and San Francisco on
the west coast to Chicago in the
Midwest, Boston and Washington
DC in the north-east and Miami
in the south-eastern tip. However,
this sum would only cover 1-star
lodging in New York and Geneva.
The star rating that could be purchased with £100 a night or less on average in the world’s top cities in H1 2014
Destination
£100
Destination
Pisa
£50
Hong Kong
Warsaw
£86
Milan
Bali
£83
Moscow
Bangkok
£59
Munich
Beijing
£38
Nice
Berlin
£104
Orlando
Brussels
£80
Paris
Budapest
£128
Rome
Buenos Aires
£116
Seoul
Cape Town
£81
Singapore
Delhi
£63
Sydney
Dublin
£88
Taipei
Guangzhou
£73
Tokyo
Istanbul
Toronto
Jakarta
Vancouver
Las Vegas
Boston
Lisbon
Chicago
Madrid
LONDON
Marrakech
Los Angeles
Melbourne
Miami
Mumbai
Montreal
Prague
San Francisco
Shanghai
Seattle
Tallinn
Venice
Vienna
Washington
Amsterdam
Zurich
Barcelona
Geneva
Cancun
New York
Dubai
EDINBURGH
Frankfurt
39 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
£100
7. Average room prices by star rating
For the HPI, Hotels.com analysed
the average prices paid in Pound
Sterling for hotel rooms across
different star ratings in the world’s
top cities in the first six months of
the year to help consumers make
the most of their travel budget. If
value was more important than
location, 5-star accommodation
in many destinations could be
booked for the same amount as
lower star categories elsewhere so
it is always worthwhile to research
before buying as a small amount
of investigation can generate
substantial savings.
£340 for the first time, followed
by Boston on £329 and New York
on £324. London on £246 offered
better value but Edinburgh was
much more affordable on £158,
less than half the sum paid in the
Japanese capital.
on £142 and Edinburgh on £112.
However, it was still less expensive
on average to stay in a 4-star hotel
in the Scottish capital than a 3-star
property in eight other US and
European cities such as Miami on
£117 and Zurich on £122.
At £82, the lowest 5-star average
was offered by Warsaw once again,
with Pisa on £87 not far behind
and a wider gap to Lisbon in third
place on £106. It would have been
possible to spend four nights of
luxury in the Polish city compared
to one in Tokyo.
The sum of £258 separated the
highest and lowest average prices
paid for a single night in 5-star
hotels around the world. With
overall prices in Japan on the rise
again, Tokyo topped the list on
With hotel prices impacted by the
civil unrest, Bangkok offered the
best 4-star average on £56, with
Budapest and Warsaw both on
£62. The two British cities could not
compete at this level, with London
Unbeatable 2-star averages were
recorded in Asia with Bali on £15,
Bangkok on £18 and Delhi on £25.
For an inexpensive trip to the US,
Las Vegas offered the best value
on £38 a night at this level while,
in Europe, Warsaw earned this
distinction once again on £40.
The gap between London and
Edinburgh was much closer here
with averages of £79 and £62
respectively.
Warsaw, Poland
40 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Average hotel room prices by star rating during H1 2014
Destination
Destination
Amsterdam
£76
£89
£117
£163
Miami
£85
£117
£183
£233
Bali
£15
£36
£88
£201
Milan
n/a
£68
£113
£235
Bangkok
£18
£26
£56
£107
Montreal
£67
£102
£136
n/a
Barcelona
£70
£89
£105
£188
Moscow
n/a
£88
£125
£197
Beijing
£31
£44
£76
£137
Mumbai
£31
£47
£74
£112
Berlin
£60
£61
£79
£120
Munich
£59
£91
£110
£187
Boston
£89
£132
£181
£329
New York
£103
£155
£186
£324
n/a
£85
£145
£215
Brussels
£71
£77
£95
£112
Nice
Budapest
n/a
£49
£62
£107
Orlando
£44
£71
£128
£193
Buenos Aires
£26
£55
£90
n/a
Paris
£70
£96
£145
£276
Cancun
£52
£85
£206
£306
Pisa
n/a
£60
£79
£87
Cape Town
n/a
£60
£83
£163
Prague
n/a
£49
£68
£108
Chicago
£66
£111
£132
£237
Rome
£64
£88
£101
£206
Delhi
£25
£30
£70
£110
San Francisco
£91
£146
£187
£279
Dubai
£82
£82
£107
£207
Seattle
£92
£122
£161
n/a
Dublin
£51
£72
£89
£163
Seoul
£37
£76
£102
£191
n/a
£48
£83
£145
EDINBURGH
£62
£87
£112
£158
Shanghai
Frankfurt
£67
£89
£103
£163
Singapore
£47
£98
£141
£218
Geneva
£104
£128
£162
£251
Sydney
£38
£79
£121
£169
Guangzhou
n/a
£49
£82
£140
Taipei
£40
£71
£109
n/a
Hong Kong
£43
£76
£124
£211
Tallinn
n/a
£58
£83
£132
Istanbul
n/a
£64
£85
£127
Tokyo
£48
£79
£155
£340
Jakarta
n/a
£28
£72
£158
Toronto
£66
£87
£126
£269
Las Vegas
£38
£48
£88
£153
Vancouver
£67
£98
£141
£228
Lisbon
£49
£58
£77
£106
Venice
£87
£109
£133
£248
£43
£64
£83
£151
LONDON
£79
£103
£142
£246
Vienna
Los Angeles
£71
£110
£193
£310
Warsaw
£40
£50
£62
£82
Madrid
£54
£61
£79
£129
Washington
£74
£118
£146
£261
Marrakech
n/a
£55
£65
£148
Zurich
£79
£122
£142
£229
Melbourne
n/a
£56
£90
£148
41 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Tokyo, Japan
Hotel star ratings explained
There is no universal star rating
system. Each country has its own
and, in some cases such as the
UK, more than one. This means
that travellers should be aware of a
possible disparity of standards and
facilities when booking rooms with
the same star ratings in different
countries.
Top 10 highest averages paid for
5-star hotels in H1 2014
Top 10 destinations with the bestvalue 5-star hotels in H1 2014
Destination
Price
Destination
Price
Tokyo
£340
Warsaw
£82
Boston
£329
Pisa
£87
New York
£324
Lisbon
£106
Los Angeles
£310
Bangkok
£107
Cancun
£306
Budapest
£107
San Francisco
£279
Prague
£108
Paris
£276
Delhi
£110
Toronto
£269
Brussels
£112
Washington
£261
Mumbai
£112
Venice
£248
Berlin
£120
42 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi
Delhi, India
Luxury for less
Looking at the averages paid by
hotel guests from the UK in 5-star
and 4-star accommodation, there
were some considerable falls
in these categories during the
first half of 2014, meaning luxury
was available for less for many
travellers.
With many prices falling in general
for UK travellers, averages paid for
5-star accommodation in several
popular destinations around the
world experienced double-digit
falls. Bangkok led the way with a
drop of 22% to £107. Elsewhere in
Asia, Singapore was down 14% to
£218 and Seoul fell 13% to £191
following a huge increase in guest
room supply. Australia made the list
for the first time, with Sydney down
18% to £169 and Melbourne down
12% to £148. Closer to home, a
17% fall took Pisa to £87, Geneva
slid 15% to £251 and Moscow lost
12% to £197.
Many of the same names featured
in this star rating as in the higher
category. Bangkok saw another
22% drop to £56 while Melbourne
and Moscow both lost 18% to
£90 and £125 respectively. The
falling Rupee and Rupiah helped
prices paid for this star rating in
Mumbai lose 17% to £74 with Bali
and Jakarta down 14% and 13%
respectively to £88 and £72.
The highest overall decrease was
recorded for 4-star accommodation
in Delhi with a 31% slump to £70.
Toronto was one of the few
newcomers, down 15% to £126.
Where prices at top-end hotels fell the most between H1 2014 and H1 2013
Destination
Star
Rating
H1 2014
H1 2013 % change
Destination
Star
Rating
H1 2014
H1 2013 % change
Delhi
£70
£103
-31%
Jakarta
£72
£82
Bangkok
£56
£71
-22%
Seoul
£191
£219
-13%
Bangkok
£107
£136
-22%
Melbourne
£148
£169
-12%
Melbourne
£90
£110
-18%
Mumbai
£112
£128
-12%
£110
£125
-12%
£197
£223
-12%
-13%
Moscow
£125
£152
-18%
Delhi
Sydney
£169
£205
-18%
Moscow
Pisa
£87
£105
-17%
Guangzhou
£82
£92
-11%
Mumbai
£74
£90
-17%
Guangzhou
£140
£158
-11%
Toronto
£126
£149
-15%
Prague
£108
£121
-11%
Geneva
£251
£294
-15%
Cape Town
£83
£93
-11%
Singapore
£218
£254
-14%
Sydney
£121
£135
-10%
Bali
£88
£102
-14%
43 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
8. Travel habits
Top overseas destinations for
UK travellers in H1 2014
There was a new incumbent in first
place in the chart of most popular
overseas destinations for UK
travellers for the first six months of
2014. New York toppled Paris off
No 1, moving the French capital to
second place. Amsterdam climbed
two places to third, moving Dublin
into fourth with Las Vegas slipping
one to fifth.
representatives in the chart. Los
Angeles fell seven places to No
18 and San Francisco also took a
slide, down two to No 12. Moving in
the other direction, Orlando was up
four to No 11.
Elsewhere, Europe remained the
most popular option, occupying
12 places in the chart. Mallorca
was the highest overall climber,
up seven places to No 13, with
Istanbul up two to No 10. Madrid
was the only faller in the region,
down three to No 16.
Top UK destinations for
overseas travellers
The first six names in the chart of
top UK destinations for overseas
travellers for the first half of the
year remained the same but there
was some movement further down
the table.
There were winners and losers
amongst the other three US
Oxford at No 10 and York at No
14 swapped places while Bristol
British globetrotters travelled
around 6,000 miles for two of their
Top 20, with Bangkok holding onto
17th place and Hong Kong down
one to No 19.
Top overseas destinations for UK travellers in
H1 2014
Rank
Destination
1
New York
2
Paris
H1 2013 rank
also gained in popularity, breaking
into the Top 10 with a move up
three places to No 9. Belfast at
No 7, Southampton at No 17 and
Inverness at No 18 all climbed one.
Conversely, Aberdeen at No 11
and Newcastle-upon-Tyne both
dropped two with Brighton at No
8 and Cambridge at No 12 each
slipping one.
Nottingham was the only newcomer
at No 20 as Bournemouth left the
leaderboard.
Top UK destinations for overseas travellers in
H1 2014
Rank
Destination
H1 2013 rank
2
1
London
1
1
2
Edinburgh
2
3
Amsterdam
5
3
Manchester
3
4
Dublin
3
4
Liverpool
4
5
Las Vegas
4
5
Glasgow
5
6
Barcelona
6
6
Birmingham
6
7
Rome
7
7
Belfast
8
8
Dubai
8
8
Brighton
7
9
Berlin
9
9
Bristol
12
10
Istanbul
12
10
Oxford
14
11
Orlando
15
11
Aberdeen
9
12
San Francisco
10
12
Cambridge
11
13
Mallorca
20
13
Leeds
13
14
Venice
14
14
York
10
15
Brussels
16
15
Cardiff
15
16
Madrid
13
16
Bath
16
17
Bangkok
17
17
Southampton
18
18
Los Angeles
11
18
Inverness
19
19
Hong Kong
18
19
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
17
20
Prague
*
20
Nottingham
44 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
*
9. Travel talk
With internet penetration in the
country climbing to 45.8%, China
ended the year with 618 million
internet users, 500 million of
these choosing to access the web
via a mobile device23, according
to the China Internet Network
Information. More than 90% of
internet users reportedly have a
social media account.
For further information and to
download a copy of the report, visit
http://press.hotels.com/citm.
22
Surveying more than 3,000
Chinese international travellers
With 97 million Chinese travelling
abroad in 201322, up 14 million
on 2012, more than half of the
hoteliers surveyed say that they
have seen an increase in the
number of Chinese guests in the
previous 12 months while 36%
believe that the influx of Chinese
tourists is one of the factors that
will have the most impact on their
business in the next 12-24 months.
There is also a growing confidence
shown by these new travellers,
particularly amongst the young.
Two-thirds of the Chinese
consumers questioned say
that they now prefer to travel
independently, up five percentage
points on 2013, while more than
60% of hoteliers have seen a boost
in the number of independent
travellers in the last two years. This
is the clearest indication yet of
the move away from the previous
preference for group travel.
Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-01/09/content_17224806.htm
Source: http://thenextweb.com/asia/2014/01/16/chinas-internet-population-numbered-618m-end-201381-connecting-via-mobile/
For the first time, more than half
of the Chinese travellers surveyed
say they now book their hotel
accommodation either via the web
or mobile apps, up from 45% in
2013. Just under half use online
accommodation websites and
online reviews sites to research
their trips and a third check social
media. Eighty-four per cent share
their photos and experiences on
social media during and after an
international trip. The provision of
free Wi-Fi is chosen as the most
important service in a hotel by
59%.
and 3,000 hoteliers around the
world, the third annual CITM
reveals significant insights into all
aspects of the changing behaviour
of Chinese travellers and how the
global hotel industry is adapting to
maximise the benefits of this new
market.
45 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
23
Technology a compelling factor
behind Chinese outbound travel
surge
The latest Hotels.com Chinese
International Travel Monitor
(CITM) reveals just how much
technology has become a powerful
element in the decision-making
mix of this critical sector, following
another record year for travel and
spending22.
Chinese International Travel Monitor 2014
The Hotels.com Chinese International Travel Monitor is an annual report which gives in-depth insight into
the growth and changing behaviour of Chinese international travellers and how the global hotel industry
is adapting to this new opportunity. It uses research gathered from 3,000 Chinese international travellers
and 3,000 hoteliers around the world.
Percentage of growth in the number of Chinese travellers, as reported by hoteliers
38%
18%
6%
1%-10%
11%-25%
increase
26%-50%
increase
increase
3%
1%
2%
51%-75%
76%-100%
More than
100%
increase
Reasons for travelling abroad
increase
Top 10 countries deemed most welcoming to Chinese travellers
49%
Business /
Education
97%
Leisure
1. Australia
2. Singapore
7. USA
3=. France
8=. Taiwan
3=. New Zealand 3=. South Korea 6. Hong Kong
8=. Canada
10=. UK
10=. Germany
Travelling companions
Partner / Spouse with Children
Friends
Family members
Partner / Spouse without Children
Alone
Translated travel/tourism guides
Hotel website in Mandarin
Top five products or services that are most important on an international trip.
Free Wi-Fi
China Union Pay / Alipay
In-house Mandarin-speaking staff
Hotel amenities most important to Chinese travellers
On-site
restaurant
55%
Room service
57%
during or after an international trip
On-site shop
18%
Business
centre
25%
Gym
16%
84%
68%
On-site
swimming pool
17%
On-site spa
11%
Bar
8%
62%
38%
On-site casino/
gaming area
8%
All social
media
For more information and to download the full report, please visit http://press.hotels.com/citm/
46 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
WeChat
Weibo
Online photo
album
32%
Showing people
in person on a
screen
One million foreign fans visited
Brazil during the tournament and
they were joined by three million
locals travelling around the country
to all the games or just to join in
the fun of the month-long event.
More than three million people
bought tickets for the stadiums
and five million enjoyed the Fan
Fests24, organised alongside the
games in each of the 12 host cities,
to experience the excitement of a
championship game with friends in
a live setting, together with music
and entertainment.
A staggering 86% of German TV
viewers (41.89 million)25 tuned in to
watch their country lift the cup for
the fourth time but it was US fans
who took the crown for travelling
to Brazil in the greatest numbers,
according to Hotels.com research.
They were followed by the British,
the Australians and the Canadians,
even though the latter did not have
a home team to support.
This level of interest naturally
impacted hotel prices. The biggest
increase was seen in Porto Alegre,
home to the group stages, the
round of 16 and the quarter-finals.
Average prices paid in the city
over the championship period rose
150% to US$250, when compared
to the same period in 2013. Natal,
where the USA played its opening
game, was next, up 141%, taking
it to the same average as Porto
Alegre. Salvador, the location for
Germany’s trouncing of Portugal
4-0, climbed up 110% to US$234.
The overall highest average of
US$305 was paid in Brasilia, scene
of the third place match where
the Netherlands added to the
home team’s misery by defeating
them 3-0. Recife, where Costa
Rica crushed England’s hopes of
qualification by overcoming Italy
1-0, added 83% to US$279 and, in
Rio de Janeiro which was involved
in all stages of the competition
With so much going on in the city,
Rio was also the destination where
foreign travellers stayed the longest
with four days on average. Natal,
Curitiba, Salvador and Sao Paulo
all witnessed stays of an average
3.5 days while Cuiaba had the
shortest trip duration of just one
day.
Major changes in prices paid for
accommodation are usual for
major sporting events such as
this and give a good indication of
what could happen for the Olympic
Games in Rio in the summer of
2016.
24
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
including the final, rates paid rose
30% to US$269.
Source: http://www.copa2014.gov.br/pt-br/noticia/brasileiros-garantiram-uma-das-festas-maisbonitas-do-mundo-afirma-presidenta-sobre-a-copa
25
Source: http://www.iptv-news.com/2014/07/world-cup-final-breaks-records-worldwide-for-tvbroadcasters/
World Cup Wrap-Up
The world may disagree on what
is the best sport but the World
Cup, held this June and July in
Brazil, certainly wins in terms of the
numbers game.
47 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Mobile Takes off
According to the International
Telecommunication Union, there
are now nearly seven billion mobile
subscriptions worldwide, equivalent
to 95.5% of the world population.
The developed countries are
reaching saturation point, with
many users already having more
than one subscription, so further
growth is being driven by the
emerging nations26.
Mirroring the global subscriber
statistics, it is Hotels.com
customers in Asia who showed the
biggest increase in mobile demand
during the first six months of 2014,
compared with the same period
in 2013, with South Korea up a
remarkable 258% for the period,
Taiwan up 197%, Hong Kong up
136% and China up 121%.
European rises are still impressive
but growth in general is at a slower
pace. Portugal expanded by 151%
and Poland by 131% whereas it
was 99% for Finland and 96% for
Russia. In Latin America, Brazil led
the way with a 102% increase, with
Colombia up 83% and Mexico up
78%.
The apps are designed and built for
use on the move with 20,000 lastminute deals available around the
world. Consequently, Hotels.com
figures show that half the demand on
a global basis is for the same or next
day stays, with almost two-thirds just
for one overnight. Three-star hotels
are the most popular accommodation
choice when booking via the apps.
26
Source: http://mobithinking.com/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobile-stats/a#subscribers
Hotels.com has developed a range
of award-winning apps for all
kinds of devices, localised in 35
languages to each market, which
have been downloaded worldwide
more than 35 million times since
launch.
48 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
Hotels.com in numbers
35 Million
Hotels.com mobile apps downloaded
11+ Million
Customer reviews from guests who
have actually stayed in the hotels
10+ Million
Welcome Rewards* members
1+ Million
Free** nights given away to Welcome Rewards* members
Nearly 325,000
Bookable properties available on the site through
the Expedia group network
85+
Localised Hotels.com websites around the world
35
Languages
as at 30 June, 2014
*Welcome Rewards is the Hotels.com loyalty programme
where members can collect 10 nights at eligible properties to
get one night free to redeem on future bookings at another
eligible property.
**The maximum value of the free night is the average daily
rate of the 10 nights stayed. The free night does not include
taxes and fees.
49 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
About Hotels.com
Starting as a telephone service
in 1991, the first website was
launched in the US in 2002 with the
first international version launched
in the UK later that year. There
are now more than 85 Hotels.com
sites worldwide in Europe, North,
Central and South America, Asia
Pacific, the Middle East and South
Africa, the majority of which are in
localised languages.
Hotels.com benefits from one of
the largest hotel contracting teams
in the industry, constantly working
to bring more hotels to the sites
and ensuring best value pricing for
its customers with frequent sales,
special deals and promotions.
Regular customer e-newsletters
provide exclusive offers and
advance notice of up-coming sales.
There are more than 11 million
reviews on the site from users who
have actually stayed in the hotels
to ensure customers can make an
informed choice when booking.
redeem their free night* at more
than 90,000 eligible hotels around
the world, including many that do
not have loyalty programmes of
their own. Since launch,
Hotels.com has rewarded its
customers with more than one
million free nights*.
For more information, press
enquiries or spokespeople for any
global region, please contact the
Hotels.com PR team at:
Under its Best Price Guarantee, if
a customer can find a lower price
on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will
refund the difference, subject to the
Best Price terms and conditions set
out on www.hotels.com.
Yvonne Bonanati
Lizann Peppard
Travellers can book online or by
contacting one of the multilingual
call centres. A portfolio of special
apps for mobile phones and tablets
can also be downloaded at
www.hotels.com/deals/mobile
enabling customers to book on
the go with access to 20,000 last
minute deals.
Hotels.com is part of the Expedia
group, the largest travel company
in the world with an extensive
portfolio that includes some of the
world’s best-known brands. Follow
Hotels.com on Facebook, Twitter
and on YouTube.
Through its industry-leading loyalty
programme Welcome Rewards
available in all markets, customers
can earn a free* night for every 10
nights stayed, subject to Welcome
Rewards™ terms and conditions
as set out at www.hotels.com.
They can accumulate their 10
nights across more than 100,000
independent and chain hotels and
© 2014 Hotels.com, LP. All rights reserved. Hotels.com, Hotel Price Index,
HPI, Welcome Rewards and the Hotels.com logo are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP. All other trademarks are
property of their respective owners. CST # 2083949-50
50 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014
press@hotels.co.uk
+44 (0)20 7019 2428
Photographic credits : Getty
Images, Alamy, Shutterstock,
Artyom Sharbatyan, SuperStock,
Poco a poco, Chensiyuan, Diliff,
Corbis, Russavia, Tania Huiny,
Copa2014 and Halley Pacheco de
Oliveira
*The maximum value of the free night is the average daily rate of the 10
nights stayed. The free night does not include taxes and fees.
Hotels.com is a leading online
accommodation booking website
with nearly 325,000 properties
around the world through the
Expedia® group network, ranging
from international chains and allinclusive resorts to local favourites
and bed & breakfasts, together with
all the information needed to book
the perfect stay.
The Hotel Price Index (HPI®), this report and its contents are the copyright of Hotels.com, L.P. All rights reserved. Any
reproduction of this report or its content must acknowledge www.hotels.com as the source.
51 — Review of global hotel prices : January 2014 — June 2014