Dublin hotel prices continue to fall

Dublin now ranks as the tenth cheapest city for hotel prices among major holiday destinations worldwide, according to a new survey.

The latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index shows that the average price per room in the capital fell 7 per cent from €78 in the second quarter of 2009 to €73 for the same three-month period this year. This means that Dublin continues to be the cheapest city for hotels in western Europe.

Monte Carlo, the city which is the playground of the rich and famous, is the world's most expensive city for holidaymakers with prices having risen by 6 per cent over the past year to an average of €180 per night.

Geneva in Switzerland is the second most expensive city for hotel accommodation with prices up 7 per cent year-on-year to €174 per night. Hotel prices in Rio de Janerio rose 22 per cent during the same time period to €166. New York and Moscow, formerly two of the world's most expensive destinations, make up the top five with prices at €153 and €150 respectively.

The most significant rise in hotel costs recorded in the year to the end of June was in Cape Town where prices increased by 35 per cent to €108 per night, due to the World Cup.

Singapore and London also saw substantial rises in room rates with prices up 20 per cent and 14 per cent respectively.

The Latvian capital Riga is ranked as the cheapest city for hotel prices wiht costs having fallen by 8 per cent over the year from €63 to €58.

Christchurch, Tallinn, Bangkok and Beijing make up the top five in terms of cheapest hotel prices with all offering accommodation at €66 per night or below on average.

Abu Dhabi was the city which experienced the largest fall in prices in the year to the end of June with room rates down 29 per cent to €136.

The Icelandic capital Reykjavik saw its room rates fall by 22 per cent due to the ash cloud crisis earlier in the year while room rates in Bucharest dropped by 27 per cent on average making it one of the least expensive destinations in the world.