Some UK destinations are showing price decreases this February half term. For example, hotel prices in Scarborough have dropped by 44 per cent in comparison to term time. One night between February 14 and February 23 will cost an average of just £68, compared to £122 between February 28 and March 9.
LONDON – Following one father’s complaint about holiday prices during the 2014 February half term, hotel comparison website trivago.co.uk has decided to find out which UK destinations are the worst culprits.
Based on 50 UK towns and cities, Cumbria’s Ambleside is the worst offender, with hotel prices up 58 per cent this February half term. One night between Friday 14 February and Sunday 23 February will cost an average of £93, in comparison to just £59 during term time (Friday 28 February – Sunday 9 March). Ambleside is situated at the head of Lake Windermere within the Lake District National Park, making it a popular UK destination.
Also showing significant hotel price increases during the February half term are Aberdeen (up 50 per cent to an average of £120 per night), Whitby (up 44 per cent to £102), Bath (up 42 per cent to £126) and Oxford (up 41 per cent to £110).
Ten UK destinations with the largest price hikes this February half term
|
|
Destination |
Half Term Average (14 – 23 Feb) |
Term Time Average |
Percentage Increase |
|
1 |
Ambleside |
£93 |
£59 |
58% |
|
2 |
Aberdeen |
£120 |
£80 |
50% |
|
3 |
Whitby |
£102 |
£71 |
44% |
|
4 |
Bath |
£126 |
£89 |
42% |
|
5 |
Oxford |
£110 |
£78 |
41% |
|
6 |
Windermere |
£103 |
£75 |
37% |
|
7 |
Bristol |
£87 |
£65 |
34% |
|
8 |
Cheltenham |
£98 |
£74 |
32% |
|
9 |
Cardiff |
£104 |
£79 |
31% |
|
10 |
Cambridge |
£99 |
£77 |
28% |
On the other hand, some UK destinations are showing price decreases this February half term. For example, hotel prices in Scarborough have dropped by 44 per cent in comparison to term time. One night between February 14 and February 23 will cost an average of just £68, compared to £122 between February 28 and March 9.
Also showing significant price decreases are Great Yarmouth (down 41 per cent to an average of £69 per night), Glasgow (down 36 per cent to £78), Birmingham (down 32 per cent to £66) and Norwich (down 30 per cent to £77).
Ten UK destinations with the largest price drops this February half term
|
|
Destination |
Half Term Average (14 – 23 Feb) |
Term Time Average (28 Feb – 9 March) |
Percentage Decrease |
|
1 |
Scarborough |
£68 |
£122 |
-44% |
|
2 |
Great Yarmouth |
£69 |
£116 |
-41% |
|
3 |
Glasgow |
£78 |
£122 |
-36% |
|
4 |
Birmingham |
£66 |
£97 |
-32% |
|
5 |
Norwich |
£77 |
£111 |
-30% |
|
6 |
Belfast |
£73 |
£93 |
-22% |
|
7 |
Eastbourne |
£77 |
£97 |
-21% |
|
8 |
Newquay |
£70 |
£89 |
-21% |
|
9 |
Sheffield |
£68 |
£85 |
-19% |
|
10 |
York |
£99 |
£123 |
-19% |
Prices are calculated from more than 2 million daily searches on over 200 online travel agents and hotel chains.
Denise Bartlett, UK Public Relations, says: “It is unfortunate to see hoteliers raise their prices during what is a popular travel period for families. It would be a shame to see families discouraged from visiting parts of the UK due to high accommodation costs. Although it is encouraging that some locations are lowering their prices, this is probably due to a lack of demand – we often see hotel prices dropped last minute in order to fill remaining rooms.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
