Cardiff hotels cost average of €1,400 for RWC quarters

Ireland or France rugby supporters face a whopping bill for accommodation in Cardiff if they plan on supporting their team in a Rugby World Cup quarter-final on Saturday, October 17th, with room prices in the Welsh capital increased by a staggering 1095 per cent from an average price of £85 (€117) for the same date last year to an eye watering £1018 (€1404) for somewhere to stay on that particular night next month.

Whichever team finishes runners-up in Pool D - it contains Ireland, France, Canada, Romania and Italy - will play their RWC quarter-final on the Saturday night most likely against New Zealand. The winners of that pool will play on the Sunday when the average cost of a hotel room is a mere snip at £630 (€867) up from last year’s price of £85 (€117).

The staggering aspect of these figures in some respect, quite apart from what can only be described as price gouging, is that there is just one per cent availability on the Saturday night and two per cent on the Sunday.

The survey conducted by the travel website Trivago and released today, highlights that hotels are attempting to cash-in on the Rugby World Cup in England and Wales with an average price hike for accommodation is 184 per cent.

Ireland open their World Cup campaign on Sunday, September 19th when a hotel room in Cardiff will cost an average of £521 (€716) from last year’s price of £85 (€117) with just two per cent availability. When the Irish side moves to London to take on Romania on Saturday September 27th, there is just a nine per cent price hike from £180 (€248) to £165 (€227); there is 48 per cent availability in the English capital.

Joe Schmidt’s side then face Italy, again in London, on Sunday October 4th, when the increase is on average 10 per cent up from £165 (€227) to £181 (€249). The final pool match sees Ireland return to Cardiff on Sunday, October 11th when the average room cost will jump by 988 per cent from £85 (€117) to £927 (€1,274).

Trivago claimed prices had increased for each match in each host city. It found rooms on match nights cost across England and Wales cost an average of £261 (€359), compared to just £92 (€126). Cardiff though was far and away the most expensive and while obviously limited in the number of rooms available compared to some of the other cities, the extent of the price gouging is mind blowing.

Denise Bartlett, from Trivago, said: “The hotel price increases in Cardiff are the most extreme we have ever reported for an event in the UK. For the [FOOTBALL]World Cup in Brazil last year hotel prices peaked at an average of £328, with a maximum increase of 243 per cent.

“The average in Cardiff for all match nights is £574, which is 140 per cent more expensive than a night in London during the Rugby World Cup (average of £240), despite London being the UK’s most expensive city for a hotel stay.”