Another great article from CNNGo.com:
http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/escape/hotel-prices-surge-2011-967158
If you traveled to Hong Kong or Brisbane in 2010 — good call.
Had you gone a year later you’d have had to pay nearly 50 percent more, according to Hotels.com’s latest Hotel Price Index.
While the average price of a hotel room rose 4 percent internationally in 2011 compared to the previous year, “increased demand from business executives, leisure travellers and shoppers, especially from the Chinese mainland” saw prices in those two cities hit US$163 compared to US$112 (Hong Kong) and US$180 compared to US$123 (Brisbane) on average.
Honolulu (+44 percent, to US$216), Auckland (+30 percent, to US$131) and Melbourne (+30 percent, to US$173) also saw significant hikes in the average price of their accommodations.
At a regional level, various factors such as political, natural and economical conditions affected prices around the world. Floods in Thailand and the March 2011 earthquake in Japan saw hotel prices there fall.
It was a great year to travel to Shanghai, with hotel room costs there declining 23 percent, mainly due to an oversupply of rooms from new construction projects and the falling demand after the World Expo in 2010.
“The global average is still lower than it was in 2005, such was the depth of the financial crash-inspired trough,” David Roche, president at Hotels.com, said.
Biggest % price rises in 2011 vs. 2010
1.Brisbane: +46 percent to US$180
2.Hong Kong: +46 percent to US$163
3.Honolulu: +44 percent, to US$216
4.Auckland: +30 percent to US$131
5.Melbourne: +30 percent to US$173
6.Pattaya: +27 percent to US$95
7.Dubai: +25 percent to US$210
8.Gold Coast: +25 percent to US$169
9.San Francisco: +25 percent to US$173
10.Hangzhou: +25 percent to US$113
Biggest % price falls in 2011 vs 2010
1.Shanghai: -23 percent to US$88
2.Hanoi: -18 percent to US$88
3.Guangzhou: -15 percent to US$85
4.Sapporo: -11 percent to US$99
5.Manila: -10 percent to US$82
6.Bali: -10 percent to US$186
7.Athens: -9 percent to US$127
8.Shenzhen: -7 percent to US$90
9.Kyoto: -5 percent to US$143
10.Prague: -4 percent to US$131
Most expensive average hotel room prices 2011
1.New York: US$272
2.Zurich: US$239
3.Boston: US$233
4.London: US$223
5.Honolulu: US$216
6.Paris: US$210
7.Dubai: US$210
8.Macau: US$206
9.Nice: US$199
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