Travel search engine KAYAK.co.uk has analysed the average costs per square metre for 3&4-star hotels and rentals in popular destinations, so travellers can get the most out of their holiday budget
- Edinburgh offers least space for the money when it comes to European destinations, almost three times more expensive than Prague
- New York 3&4-star hotels cost over four times more per sq m than Dubai
- Rentals are a great idea in Edinburgh and Tokyo: in Edinburgh they are triple the size for the same cost as 3&4-star hotels, in Tokyo double the size for 32% cheaper
London, 16 November: Finding the perfect mix of comfort and cost can be hard when choosing holiday accommodation. Travel search engine KAYAK.co.uk analysed its data to find the costs per square metre for 3&4-star hotels (as well as home/apartment rentals) in Brits’ favourite destinations, so thrifty travellers can get the most out of their holiday budget.
How do popular European destinations compare when judged according to 3&4-star hotel costs per sq m?
Looking at the top European destinations for British travellers, based on 3&4 star hotel rooms, Edinburgh is revealed to be the priciest when looking at cost per square metre. The average price is a whopping £6.56/sq m per night. It’s followed by Paris, which also has the smallest rooms, 14% smaller than Brits’ other favourite cities around Europe, while costing £6.10 per sq m. The best-value hotel rooms in Europe can be found in Prague and Budapest, both less than £3 per sq m, per night.
So where is rental accommodation a good idea?
But what about rentals? The research reveals that in many cases, Brits can get much more space for their money – although it can cost more overall.
Budapest and Prague are bargain options for rentals, with average prices under £1.50/sq m, while Amsterdam is the most expensive, over four times more expensive than Budapest.
Hotels versus rentals tends to be a question of perks and comfort vs money and space. While 3&4-star hotels are cheaper in most of the popular European destinations, in Budapest Brits can enjoy 65% more space in a rental for 17% less than a hotel, and in Rome they can save a whopping 30% for the same size.
While Edinburgh is one of the most expensive European destinations in terms of hotel room costs, clever travellers can enjoy three times the space in a rental for just 13% extra, and in Paris, the same price as a hotel room will get British holidaymakers 65% more space in a rental.
A rental is often a good choice for families or friends travelling as a group, especially if the other option is booking several hotel rooms. But couples or solo travellers can also find good deals – and if they don’t mind paying a bit more, they can often get a lot more space. For example, for an extra outlay of up to 30%, visitors to Dublin and Barcelona can enjoy twice the size.
How do popular worldwide destinations compare when judged according to 3&4-star hotel costs per sq m?
In New York 3&4-star hotel rooms cost over seven times as much as those in Kuta, Bali. New York’s prices are over 30% higher than the next priciest city, Tokyo, and New York room sizes are also amongst the smallest compared to other popular destinations. Dubai, on the other hand, known as a luxury destination, offers the largest room size on average. At 44 sq m, they are 70% larger than rooms in New York but surprisingly cost only 40% as much.
The cheapest popular destinations worldwide according to rental costs per sq m
Rentals in the Balinese resort of Kuta are on average a massive 200 square metres, six times larger than those in New York, while still costing £67 less on average. Roomy rentals are also on offer in Marrakech, where the average property size is 122 sq m, while costing under £1.00 per sq m.
Rental is a good idea in Tokyo: Britons can avoid paying exorbitant hotel prices and enjoy nearly twice as much space as the average 3 or 4-star room, for 32% less cost. Marrakech offers great rental options for groups or families – although costing twice as much as hotels, they are also over five times as large.
John-Lee Saez, travel expert at KAYAK.co.uk, comments: “At KAYAK, we are committed to helping people travel confidently and know they are getting the best value for their holiday budget. While it’s striking to see just how much hotel prices have risen in certain cities, it’s reassuring to see that there are good rental bargains on offer for those who know where to look. Especially for groups and families, rentals are a good way to get a tonne of extra space without paying a lot more – and sometimes they can even save money! By using KAYAK’s rentals search and hotel filters, travellers can narrow down the results of their search to fit their precise tastes”.
Note:
The analysis is based on the most popular destinations in Europe and worldwide according to hotel searches on kayak.co.uk between 01.01.2017-20.09.2017 for travel between 01.01.2017-31.12.2017. Average costs per square metre are based on hotel clicks on KAYAK between 22.09.2016-22.09.2017, for rooms that accommodate a minimum of 2 travellers, and for destinations with size and price data available for at least 5 of each property type. Prices are subject to change, may vary or are no longer available anymore.
