LUXURY SEEKERS: BRITS SAVED UP TO 360 PER NIGHT ON ACCOMODATION IN 2017 BY GOING 4- STAR OVER 5-STAR April 16, 2018 th LONDON, Monday 16 April: Each year, the Hotel Price Index (HPI ) from Hotels.com reveals tons of interesting facts and trends about the cost of overnight stays around the world. This year, Hotels.com is giving away the secrets of where to go for the most luxe holiday stays on the planet at seriously good prices. Whether you want to nibble on caviar by your own private pool or relax on your 1,000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, Hotels.com has the key to some of the best affordable luxury holidays out there. All hail, the Luxe for Less hot list. Luxe for Less: Where to go for the best value luxury holiday that money can buy The HPI revealed the most popular destinations around the world for low cost 5-star accommodation for UK travellers in 2017, discovering five destinations in the top 100 offering 5- star accommodation for under 100 per night on average.
City Country Average cost per night of 5-star accommodation in top Riga Latvia 77 Siem Reap Cambodia 84 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 91 Istanbul Turkey 94 Pattaya Thailand 98 Brisbane Australia 101 Bangkok Thailand 104 Bucharest Romania 108 Prague Czech Republic 113 Krakow Poland 114 According to the HPI, although many Brits were happy to pay more for the luxury of staying in 5-
star hotels, significant savings could be found by opting for 4-star hotels. Looking at the biggest savings made, British travellers saved up to an average of 360 per night by choosing good value 4-star hotels over 5-star equivalents. The HPI shows that 39 of the top 100 most popular destinations in 2016 had 4-star accommodation that was under 100, including exotic destinations such as Melbourne, Bali, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. However, many popular destinations showed significantly better value in the 4-star category, including Paris, Reykjavik, Cape Town and Ibiza. Luxury for less the biggest savings Brits made by switching from 5-star to 4-star accommodation in 2017: City Country Average cost per night of 5-star accommod Disneyland Paris France 484 Reykjavik Iceland 437 Kyoto Japan 324 Florence France 323 Tokyo Japan 290 Paris France 294 Naples Italy 252 Los Angeles United States of America 305 Rome Italy 252 Nice France 270 Ibiza Spain 307 Dublin Ireland 247 Seville Spain 217 Benalmadena Spain 204 Cork Dublin 230
Viva España The World Tourism Organisation revealed in 2017 that Spain officially overtook the USA to become the second most-visited country in the world (after France), welcoming an estimated 82 million visitors, up from 75 million the previous year[1]. When there are tapas at every corner, beaches galore and an accent that makes you weak at the knees, it isn t surprising Spain has seen such a growth in popularity. As increased demand is likely to push up prices, it s important to know where to go for affordable luxury while still being on-trend of course. For Brits travelling to Spain in 2017, they witnessed an average price paid per night increase of 11% and up to 18% in popular cities such as Madrid, however Brits were able to continue their love affair with Spain by choosing 4 star over 5 star and saving up to 134 in popular holiday hotspots such as Ibiza, Seville and Marbella. Return to Rio for its carnival spirit The buzz of the Olympic Games may be over, but the vibrant Brazilian seaside city still has so much to offer, especially those seeking a luxurious getaway. HPI data revealed that prices paid for 4 and 5-star properties dropped by an average of 17% in 2017 (compared to 2016) for travellers from France, United Kingdom, Mexico and USA[2]. Best for spending your savings: 1. Caipirinhas on Copacabana Beach 2. A cable car up to Christ the Redeemer 3. A delicious dinner at one of the city s incredible restaurants try Oro! 4. Checking out the modern art scene 5. Going to surf school in Arpoador America is still (one of) the greatest The USA remained the most popular destination for British travellers in 2017 and whether its Hollywood Boulevard, Mickey Mouse, or the White House you want to visit, the USA saw some incredible price drops across the country in notoriously expensive cities, making them more accessible for everyone. Notably in 2017, UK travellers experienced a decrease in prices of 5-star luxury in Los Angeles and Washington. ENDS
For further information, imagery or interview requests, please contact the Hotels.com press office on CWLONHotels.com@cohnwolfe.com or 020 7331 5323. END NOTES TO EDITORS This press release utilizes data from the latest Hotel Price Index (HPI), which shows what people actually paid per room, per night based on double occupancy, including taxes & fees in 2017 as compared to 2016. As the data for each country s travellers is represented in local currencies, we are unable to show precise global prices paid. As such, data used here is based on averages between prices paid by travellers from the following markets: Australia, Japan, Spain, Finland, France, Sweden, UK, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and the USA. This press release looks at global averages and identifies trends that are represented in a majority of markets. The trends that have been identified are not true for all markets. Where global averages of percentage decreases are shown, the data has been analysed from those origination countries (e.g. Spanish travellers) where decreases were present, and origination countries where decreases were not present have been disregarded from the data. Full HPI data is available at https://hpi.hotels.com/uk-2017/ for 13 major nationalities and is presented in local currency; data for additional countries travellers is available by contacting the Hotels.com press office. [1] United Nations World Tourism Organization rankings, as reported in BBC News, 15 January 2018: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42692641. [2] Travelers from France, UK, Mexico and the USA all experienced price decreases for 4 and 5- star accommodation in various Brazilian destinations in 2017, when compared to 2016. The decreases mentioned in this press release are averages from this data set.