London-bound tourists set to stay longer and pay more this weekend

(AFP PHOTO/BEN STANSALL)

Travelers in London for this weekend's royal wedding are likely to be paying significantly above the odds for their rooms, according to a report released April 28.

Booking technology firm Pegasus Solutions calculated that hoteliers are making a whopping 383 percent more per booking on stays for April 30 compared to the year before, as the influx of spectators for the nuptials fills the British capital's hotel rooms.

The cost to the traveler will be 134 percent more than the same weekend in 2010, said Pegasus, although hotel booking site HotelMap.com said earlier this week that several hotels near the wedding route itself still had availability, and some still offered discounted rates.

The prospect of a long weekend in London also seems to have appealed to many travelers, reported Pegasus, with the average length of stay showing a "triple-digit" percentage increase over 2010.

"We’re seeing a pre- and after-party effect for the wedding that has the makings of a windfall for London hotels,” said Pegasus Solutions' Mike Kistner.

"Domestic and international travelers either came early or are staying on through the days and week after the wedding to continue the experience."

Analysis from the firm showed that the largest market visiting London for the event was domestic (British tourists), while Americans comprised the second highest source of hotel bookings and France and Germany were the next highest international source markets.

http://www.pegs.com/