Chinese hotel prices drop as expo ends

(AFP PHOTO/Philippe Lopez)

Hotel prices in China have shown a decline in November 2010, according to statistics from Wotif.com.

The price drop is particularly noticeable in Shanghai, where the closing of the World Expo appears to have resulted in the average price of a room falling from $203 (€146) in October to $187 (€134) in November.

Beijing and Guangzhou also saw price dips, said Wotif.com, along with Tokyo and the Australian city of Darwin, which is down from $192 (€138) in October to $165 (€118) this month.

However, some destinations have seen price spikes, including the popular Thai island of Phuket, where prices have jumped 44 percent from $152 (€109) per night to $220 (€158) in November.

Bangkok, Langkawi in Malaysia, Sydney and Adelaide are all also slightly more expensive this month.

Looking ahead to the holiday season, Wotif.com's Matthew Varley said that those prepared to book quick could snap up a bargain despite this month's price rises.

"If you are keen on a festive-season holiday in Australia, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam now is a good time to book as hotels have lowered their rates for December since the beginning of October," he explained.

"Good destinations to consider include Brisbane in Australia, where December rates on Wotif.com dropped by about 8%, and Siem Reap in Cambodia, where rates have gone down by about 10% during the past month."

"However, if you want to secure these rates I wouldn't hold off too much longer because we expect that prices for the peak season may rise again closer to December."

Asia's most expensive destinations - October 2010

1. Tokyo, Japan (¥21,622/€192)
4. Langkawi, Malaysia (794MYR/€184)
2. Singapore (314SGD/€174)
3. Bali, Indonesia ($235/€169)
5. Perth, Australia ($226/€159)

Data provided by Wotif.com

http://www.wotif.com