IRISH HOTELS NOW offer the best value in Western Europe, according to an annual price survey by hotels.com.

The hotel price index (PDF file) shows that Dublin hotel prices fell 7 per cent in 2010, while national prices fell 4 per cent back to 2004 levels. Prices averaged €79 per night across the country, but fell as low as €59 per night in some counties, including Waterford.

Only the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary now offer cheaper accommodation to visitors.

For travellers intent on staying in luxury, the survey showed that a €114 (stg£100) budget goes further in Dublin – where it would easily secure 4 star accommodation – than in Las Vegas or Helsinki. In comparison, the same budget would buy you three star accommodation in London, two star accommodation in Paris – and just one star rooms in New York. But nine cities worldwide – including Buenos Aires, Marrakech, Prague and Bangkok – offer 5 star accommodation for the same budget.

In fact, as little as €83 per night would secure you a four star hotel in Dublin, the survey showed.

Dublin remains the third most popular destination for travellers from the UK.

Ireland bucked the trend

Ireland bucked the trend internationally, with the average price of a hotel room rising 2 per cent in 2010 across the globe. In Latin America and the Caribbean, prices rose by 1 per cent, and the rose by 2 per cent in North America – while they fell by 2 per cent in Asia.

Prices remained flat in Europe – but this may have been partly because of large drops in Spain, Ireland and Greece. Prices in Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Geneva and Monte Carlo all rose dramatically.

The report states: “There were some big rises in up-and-coming destinations in the list of the world’s most expensive places. Prices in the Maltese capital of Valletta went up by 14% and by 16% in Tel Aviv. The Norwegian city of Bergen experienced a 29% rise, as leisure travellers came back after the recession of 2009 pushing up prices.”

World Cup warning

Unlike Ireland, Dubai appears to have weather its economic storm, remaining in the top 20 most expensive cities in which to stay – with hotel rooms costing an average of €138 (stg£120) a night.

The survey also has bad news for soccer fans – warning that Doha in Qatar is already one of the most expensive cities in the world for accommodation, with prices averaging €194 (stg£169), after a 5 per cent rise last year.

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