Hotel prices in Athlone and the surrounding area fell by 14 per cent in 2011 according to the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index.
The average hotel room rate in Athlone is now €95 per night compared to €111 in 2010.
Despite experiencing the steepest price fall in the country, Athlone is still Ireland’s fifth most expensive destination and is more expensive than cities such as Dublin (€76 ) and Cork (€82 ).
On a national level the average hotel price rose 4 per cent in 2011 indicating signs of stabilisation in the market. Prior to this, Ireland had seen some of the sharpest price drops in Europe with prices falling 35 per cent in the past three years alone. The average room rate is now €82 per night compared to €79 at the end of 2010.
Despite rising prices, Ireland still offers some of the best value in Europe and remains one of the least expensive destinations in Western Europe. Portugal and Malta are the only other two countries in Western Europe which are cheaper than Ireland with average prices of €81 and €76 respectively. Switzerland is the most expensive destination in Western Europe with prices up 8 per cent to €151. Denmark also saw its price go up 8 per cent to €122 while Sweden saw its price rise 11 per cent year-on-year to €121.
The Hotels.com Hotel Price Index is a regular survey of hotel prices in major destinations across the world. The HPI is based on bookings made on Hotels.com and prices shown are those actually paid by customers in the Eurozone (rather than advertised rates ) in 2011.
