Compared to last year, online hotel prices in Greece as a whole in August were down 1.6% and in Athens 12.1%, the daily newspaper Kathimerini reported quoting figures from the Trivago hotel search engine.
The data showed that the average online price per overnight stay in a double room at a Greek hotelĀ was down to 119 euros this month from 121 euros a year ago and 127 euros in 2009 as hotels scrambled to lure tourists during an economic crisis that saw nearly two dozen close in the downtown area in the last two years.
According to Trivago’s data, Greece is the 11th cheapest destination this month for accommodations among 24 countries. The cheapest hotel prices were in Romania and Bulgaria, at 64 and 68 euros respectively, while the most expensive are in Switzerland and Norway, at 201 and 178 euros. Neighboring Turkey, which draws more tourists than Greece, was slightly more expensive, with an average of 121 euros. An overnight stay in a simple double room in Europe this month costs 113 euros on average — the same as a year ago.
The average online price of Athenian hotels is 80 euros, from 91 euros last year. According to Trivago, hotel prices in the capital have fallen gradually over the last five years, a strong indication of the serious problems in the city which have led to the closure of hotels, including five-star luxury facilities which couldn’t weather the recession and crime around the Omonia Square area.
This year’s average price is down 37% from 128 euros in 2008, the best ever for Greek tourism. Athens has the 11th lowest average hotel price among the 50 cities included in Trivago’s list. London has the highest average price, at 229 euros, followed by Edinburgh with 224 euros. The lowest two are Zaragoza at 52 euros and Sofia at 61 euros. The average in Istanbul is 117 euros, much higher than in Athens. Two Greek hotels figure in the top 10 with the most impressive swimming pools, picked by www.trivago.gr on the basis of popularity and users’ reviews: Katoikies in Santorini’s Oia and Cavo Taggo on Myconos. The others are in Thailand, the Maldives, Turkey, Indonesia, the USA, Switzerland, Spain and Singapore.
Another Greek hotel, Marni Village, in Koutouloufari on Crete, figures at the top of the list of Europe’s five best family hotels, according to www.trivago.co.uk. Tripadvisor users also ranked three Greek beaches among the best 10 in Europe. The top of the list was the Shipwreck beach on Zakynthos, Lefkada’s Egremni was in fifth place, while Elafonisos of Crete came in seventh.
(source: Kathimerini, ANSA)
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