Hotel prices in Paris are already three-and-a-half times the usual summer rates, less than a year ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
According to gulfnews.com, online rates suggest that travellers heading to the French capital can expect to pay about US$685 (R13 276) per night in a three-star hotel, compared with a typical July stay of about $178 (R3 470). Google data anticipates that prices for a four-star hotel will be around $953 (R18 470) during the Games, up from the usual $266 (R5 156).
The city is expecting more than 11 million visitors during the Olympics, of whom about 3,3 million will travel internationally and require overnight accommodation. About 280 000 rooms were available per day across the greater Paris region, said a spokeswoman for the Paris tourism office.
Five-star hotels are seeing slightly smaller price increases than their typically affordable competitors, with rates at $1 607 (R31 146) per night, up from $625 (R12 113) for a typical July stay.
A spokesperson from Expedia Group said more affordable accommodation options available during the Olympics would be charging prices typical of luxury hotels, between $500 (R9 690) and $600 (R11 630).
“We recommend that travellers plan early to secure their hotels before availability becomes limited,” she said.
Meanwhile, tourism research firm MKG found that an exceptional 45% of rooms in Paris were already reserved for the Olympics, compared with the normal 3% of rooms booked a year in advance.
According to MKG CEO Vanguelis Panayotis, some hotels may leave some of their rooms unlisted in the hope of selling them at a higher price, particularly because they feel the rates negotiated for delegates years in advance don’t account for current inflation.
“That’s put hotels in a tough spot, and it might push them to make up for it by trying to set higher prices later for the public,” said Panayotis.
