Hotel prices fell by 16% in the first half of 2009

Hotel prices in the UK fell by 16% in the first half of the year, as global hotel prices plummeted to their lowest level for five years, according to Hotels.com’s price index (HPI).

The average price of a hotel room in the UK was down by 16% from £99 to £83 between January and June this year compared to the same period in 2008. The HPI tracks the real prices paid per hotel room (rather than advertised rates) for 78,000 hotels across 13,000 locations around the world.

For the first time since the HPI was published four years ago, prices paid were down in every major UK destination, Aberdeen experienced the steepest price falls for UK travellers down 25% to £83.

London became a more affordable destination for those planning a visit to the capital, with prices down 12% on 2008, to £101 per night on average.

Despite the fact that prices fell by 6% between 2008 and 2009, Bath remained the UK’s most expensive destination at £111 per night on average.

Nottingham emerged as one of the UK’s best-value cities, with prices falling by 22% to £53 per room per night, taking it into the bottom three cities in the price league table.

David Roche, president of Hotels.com Worldwide, says: “We were expecting 2009 to be a year of dramatic price reductions and, so far, it has been. The UK is no exception to this and is now a more affordable and attractive destination than ever.

“For UK travellers, it is a great time to stay closer to home and explore the British Isles, while for visitors from overseas, there has never been a better chance to come and enjoy the UK at 2004 prices.”