Hotel Price Index reveals Australia’s priciest places to book a room and where to save

The Queensland island getaway was the most expensive place in Australia to book a hotel in 2013 - averaging a whopping $247 per night.

Darwin and Sydney weren’t far behind when it came to a pricey night’s kip, with the average hotel cost for both topping $200 a night.

And overall, Australian hotel rates rose 4 per cent last year, to an average $177 per night, according to accommodation comparison site Hotels.com’s 10th annual Hotel Price Index.

This was above the global average 3 per cent rise.

 Darwin experienced the steepest average increase in hotel prices last year - up 12 per cent to $204 - while falls in Western Australia were attributed to the mining boom going off the boil.

“While parts of Australia did witness hotel price drops in 2013, prices in cities such as Perth had been inflated following the mining boom of previous years, so I look upon this as just a correction from that level,” Hotels.com vice president and managing director Abhiram Chowdhry said.

“Overall, Australian hoteliers enjoyed a solid year thanks to a weaker Australian dollar which not only helped attract overseas travellers but also retain the domestic market.”

The average cost of a bed for the night in 2013 was:

1. Whitsunday Islands: up 4 per cent to $247

2. Darwin: up 12 per cent to $204

3. Sydney: up 9 per cent to $200

4. Perth: down 8 per cent to $195

5. Margaret River: down 1 per cent to $190

6. Sunshine Coast: down 3 per cent to $180

7. Canberra: up 2 per cent to $180

8. Byron Bay: up 9 per cent to $179

9. Port Douglas: down 1 per cent to $174

10. Gold Coast: up 4 per cent to $172

11. Hunter Valley: down 1 per cent to $172

12. Melbourne: up 6 per cent to $171

13. Blue Mountains: up 2 per cent to $168

14. Brisbane: down 3 per cent to $168

15. Hobart: up 5 per cent to $165

                                         Hotel prices were up 24 per cent inAnaheim, the home of Disneyland. Picture: Barry O'Brien Source:Supplied

Globally, the steepest hotel price rises were experienced in Anaheim, the home of Disneyland, and the Philippines island of Boracay, which both saw charges increase by 24 per cent.

New York was the most expensive destination, at an average $295 a night.

But, the report said ongoing political protests in Thailand, tensions between Japan and China, natural disasters in southeast Asia, and the impact of currency devaluations had made it cheaper for Australians to travel in Asia in 2013.

Asian cities recorded 2 per cent drops in the cost of accommodation last year - the only region in which this occurred.

Asian destinations count for half of the 20 most popular destinations for Australian travellers.

“The fall in rates across parts of Asia was to be expected as major currencies across the region slipped,” Mr Chowdhry said.

                                                     

Tourists visit the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. The Cambodian capital offered the best value for money, according to Hotels.com. Source: AFP

The Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, offered the best value for money, the report said, despite a 15 per cent increase that saw the average room rate rise to $69.

Siem Reap and Hanoi also offered good value in 2013, while more established cities such as Tokyo and Mumbai saw prices drop.

With the worst of the global economic crisis over, the trend was also up in Europe, with most major cities becoming more expensive for Australian travellers in 2013.

Basking in the aftermath of the Olympics and the birth of a royal baby, London saw its average room rates grow 6 per cent, to $223.

Already notorious for its expense, the Icelandic capital Reykjavik was up 23 per cent, to $167.

Overall, the overseas destinations that held the nastiest surprises for Australians in 2013 were:

1. Anaheim: up 24 per cent to $163

2. Boracay: up 24 per cent to $161

3. Reykjavik: up 23 per cent to $167

4. Dubai: up 23 per cent to $234

5. Queenstown: up 13 per cent to $171

On the flip side, the overseas destinations that experience the steepest declines in the cost of accommodation were:

1. Seoul: down 17 per cent to $137

2. Warsaw: down 16 per cent to $98

3. Mumbai: down 12 per cent to $142

4. Buenos Aires: down 10 per cent to $124

5. Perth: down 10 per cent to $190

Source: Herald Sun 26 march 2014