Sharp hotel price rise seen in some European countries

(Hermann Danzmayr)

The price of a room for the night in Europe has fallen slightly since January 2010, according to the latest Hotel Price Indicator from Trivago released January 19.

However, the hotel booking site's monthly barometer of the region's hotel prices showed a mixed landscape in terms of rates, which averaged €105 per night, with sharp spikes in some countries cancelling out falls elsewhere.

The average overnight cost for a room in France (€139) has shot up 31 percent compared to last January, for instance, although the price change in Paris was a more palatable rise of five percent to €150.

Switzerland has also edged 17 percent higher, leaving the price for a room in Geneva at €213, a 13 percent increase which brings the city to its second highest price point in over a year

A night in an Italian hotel room will set consumers back 12 percent more than January last year, coming in at €110, with cities such as Venice and Milan masking the slight drop in rates seen in Rome.

More favorable destinations for a getaway this month include Vienna, which has seen prices fall 16 percent to €109, Copenhagen, also down 16 percent to €126 and Barcelona, down 13 percent to €97.

In a piece of good news for travelers to Britain, Trivago said that the country's recent rise in value-added tax had produced a "barely discernible" impact on prices.

Europe's most expensive destinations - January 2011

1. Geneva (€213)
2. London (156)
3. Oslo (€153)
4. Paris (€150)
5. Stockholm (€147)

Data provided by Trivago
http://www.trivago.co.uk