Irish hotel prices 'up 10% in first half of 2014'

Hotel prices in Ireland increased by 10% to an average of €101 per night during the first half of 2014, according to a new survey.

Irish hotel prices 'up 10% in first half of 2014'

Hotel prices in Ireland increased by 10% to an average of €101 per night during the first half of 2014, according to a new survey.

The latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index said "a number of key factors have attributed to the continued recovery of Irish hotel prices" including increased visitor numbers, additional air routes and events based tourism.

Visitors to Ireland increased by 9% in the first five months of the year while the UK market surpassed this was a 13% increase compared to the same period last year.

However the findings have been dismissed by the Irish Hotels Federation which said they are at odds with figures from the Central Statistics Office.

According to the index:

- Killarney is the destination where visitors paid the most at €111 per night on average

- Limerick is Ireland’s most affordable destination at €74 per night on average

- Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Sligo all saw prices recover in the first half of the year

- Dublin hotel prices rose 15% in the first half of 2014 to an average of €107

Killarney experienced a 4% rise in prices up to €111 per night, making it the destination where visitors paid the most. Killarney’s strong reputation as a top tourist destination with international travellers who favour four and five-star hotels helped to boost room rates and push up the overall average.

The impact of the cancellation of the five Garth Brooks concerts in July is not yet reflected in the Dublin figures but it is estimated that the capital lost €50 million in ticket refunds, empty hotel rooms and missed spending on food and drink by fans from home and abroad.

Despite seeing a double-digit boost in prices paid (+ 12%), Limerick held on to its title as Ireland’s most affordable destination, with an average of €74 per night. The first City of Culture has organised a year-long series of events including exhibitions, concerts and cultural activities that have put Limerick on the map for travellers.

The Wild Atlantic Way has helped to promote towns and cities along the west coast of the country. Galway was up 3% to €100, Sligo grew 2% to €81 and Cork saw a 6% rise to €91.

The Hotels.com™ Hotel Price Index (HPI) is a regular survey of hotel prices in major destinations across the world.

The HPI is based on bookings made on Hotels.com and prices shown are those actually paid by customers around the world (rather than advertised rates) in the first half of 2014.

However the findings of the index have been challenged by the Irish Hotels Federation, which said its authors’ figures were based on a minor share of the market and are at odds with data from the CSO.

"Less than one out of every 10 room nights booked in Ireland is sold through this booking site," Federation president Stephen McNally told the Irish Examiner.

“The vast majority are sold through other sources including directly with the hotel; over the phone; or through the hotel’s own website.

“Hotels.com does not typically capture other categories of booking such as the key tour, conference, and event market segments”.

The 10% price increase reported by Hotels.com is almost three times greater than the CSO’s figure of 3.5%, according to the federation.

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