Asia Pacific hotel prices: January bargains in Japan

Travelers looking for a New Year's getaway in Asia would be wise to consider Japan, according to data released December 10 by hotel booking site Wotif.com.

Wotif.com's monthly Asia Pacific hotel indicator shows that the average price for a hotel room in Tokyo is set to fall eight percent in January and 18 percent in February compared to this month, as visitors flock away from the city to the ski slopes.

The average cost of a room in Tokyo this December is ¥22,066 (€199), compared to ¥18,116 (€163) for a room in February 2011.

In general, Wotif.com's Asia Pacific hotel rates indicator shows that the average rate for all room types has fallen slightly in China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam this month, with the firm's boss Matthew Varley saying that these destinations can yield some "unexpected bargains."

"For those who have waited till the last minute to book their end-of-year holidays, if they remain flexible on destination there are still excellent deals to be had," he explains.

"Properties in some destinations that have seen lower than expected demand, are reducing their peak season rates to try and sell more rooms at the last minute."

However, prices in some tourists hotspots are on the rise as travellers book their seasonal breaks.

Phuket in Thailand is almost 20 percent more expensive this month at 8182 THB (€205) and prices in Australia's popular Gold Coast are set to rocket by 16 percent in January to 242 AUD (€180).

Asia's most expensive destinations - December 2010

1 Phuket, Thailand (8182THB/€205)
2. Langkawi, Malaysia (852MYR/€205)
3. Tokyo, Japan (¥22,066/€199)
4. Bali, Indonesia ($241/€181)
5. Singapore (313SGD/€181)

Data provided by Wotif.com

http://www.wotif.com