This survey, conducted by MKG Consulting on behalf of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, is concerned with hotel rack rates in three principal sectors: budget, corresponding to the French 2* category; mid-range or 3* and top of the range or 4* and 4*L.

Based on the data provided by 400 hotels polled in twenty major international cities and tourist destinations, the conclusions are distinctly positive. In the budget category, showing an average rate of 83€, Paris maintains its position as the 3rd least expensive city after Budapest and Frankfurt, with prices that are considerably lower than the global average rate for all the cities included in the survey, 113€. In the mid-range sector, with an average rate of 173€, Paris comes out well whereas London stands at 246€ and New York peaks at 257€. Only the Eastern European cities and the two major Spanish cities offer more attractive rates.

As regards top of the range hotels, Paris at 379€ remains one of the most expensive cities, topped however by Geneva at 412€. The excellent quality of Paris`s 4* and 4*L hotels bears out these rates, which in 2005 have drawn closer to those of London (358€) and New York (332€). Paris`s competitiveness is reinforced by the minimal difference between single and double room rates, only 3% over all categories.


Budget sector (2* hotels)
Paris among the top three least expensive cities in this category
Average rack rate of the sample: 113€, (Paris: 83€)

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Paris, with an average rack rate of 83€, is ranked, like last year, one of the three least expensive cities in the budget sector and among the front runners of the most competitive European capitals. The Italian cities display the highest rates in the category, from 136€ in Florence to 169€ in Milan. On the other hand, the German cities are among the least expensive.


Mid-range sector (3* hotels)
Paris remains competitive
Average rack rate of the sample: 176€, (Paris: 173€)

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Paris is placed 10th among the least expensive cities. Losing two places compared to 2004, with a price increase of 14.4%, Paris still remains more competitive than other major cities featured: Tokyo with 202€ is in 15th place and Rome in 17th place with 238€, closely followed by London with 246€. New York emerges as the most expensive city with 257€. Only the Eastern European cities and the two major Spanish cities offer more attractive rates.


Top of the range sector (4* hotels)
Paris, luxury city
Average rack rate of the sample: 283€, (Paris: 379€)

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Showing an average rack rate of 379€, Paris gains in competitiveness in the ranking of most expensive cities in the top of the range sector, being overtaken by Geneva, with an average rate of 412€. Paris is closely followed by London, at 358€ and New York at 332€. N.B.: the sample group in the top of the range sector has been modified in order to obtain a more realistic and consistent result.