Mike

First, why is lodging in GB so stinking expensive, even the countryside? I'm kind of surprised with the foot & mouth disease and terrorist attacks in the US that the prices haven't really come down the past couple of years.

xxx

Could you please explain what the terrorists attacks in the US have to do with the hotel prices in Britain? And apparently you didn't hear, but the foot and mouth threat is virtually over.<BR>But for your information there are some great deals in Britain. I've booked a hotel in London at half the price that I paid just two years ago.

Mike

Hello, every day on CNN they show commercials with sad looking British people saying that their tourism hasn't seen bad times like these in 30 years! Bring the prices down!!!

Alec

This is interesting, and is a question that Britons have been asking themselves. Some while ago, British consumer magazine Which? compared the cost of similar mid-range hotel in Britain and France, and concluded that there were several factors behind higher accommodation costs in UK:<BR>1. Rate of VAT. In France, most non-luxury hotel rooms carry around 6-7%, while in UK it's standard 17.5%.<BR>2. Most modest hotels in France are family-run, which cuts down on staff costs, and property is owned outright. In Britain, property and land prices are often much higher and many premises are rented or leased.<BR>3. Many hotels in UK rely on business travellers on expense account, and carry hefty premiums for midweek stay.<BR>4. More hotels in France have restaurants with a reputation for fine dining, in which case food takings often subsidise lodging costs.<BR>5. Perhaps the British have got used to high hotel prices and don't vote with their feet, while in France competition is keener and people are more price-conscious. Another example of rip-off Britain?<BR>But as other posters have said, price competition is hotting up in UK and often you get a big discount, just by asking. Hoteliers, perhaps with a reputation to uphold, don't want to lower rack rates, but give all sorts of deals through e.g. 'leisure' breaks, internet specials and '2-for-1' offers. But you have to ask first.

yyy

mr. x - <BR><BR>here's what the terrorist attacks on the u.s. have to do with hotel prices in britain: terrorists hijack airplanes. people become scared to fly. people don't go to britain and occupy hotel rooms. hotels, preferring to have the rooms occupied and cash comiing in, lower prices to lure customers.<BR><BR>that's the theory, anyway

P. Thacker

As a briton, I also agree prices should be lowered dramatically.

IronMike

I think its to keep out whining Americans like yourself.

Paule

I've always stayed in bed & breakfasts when travelling in GB, and found the prices always modest in contrast to hotels, so it surprises me to hear anyone talk about how expensive Britain is. B&B's are such a wonderful way to travel that I can't imagine staying in hotels anywhere except, perhaps, in London.

Christina

I have always wondered the same thing also, in general, not related to Mike's point. I haven't been there in some years, but hotels were always much more expensive than the rest of Europe. Maybe it's taxes, but there is something peculiar going on there, I think (at least in London). I remember reading an article somewhere a few years ago discussing this subject and saying even British citizens would go to the continent to buy things as they were cheaper in France, etc (cars, for example). Unfortunatley, I don't remember the article's points as to why this occurred, probably taxes. I'm sorry, but I don't buy many of Alex's points -- lots of hotels in Paris are not run by family members and are still a lot cheaper, and Parisian hotels also rely on business travelers, and the majority of them do not have inhouse restaurants. Those are the ones I compare (no restaurant, no family members running them) and they are still cheaper in France.

Leslie

Is Mike the same Mike that created the thread about wanting to know some obscene words in Spanish? The tone sounds the same.

Mike

Leslie, I'm not. Alec, thank you very much for your thorough analysis towards my question. I was a finance major in college and your points make complete sense to me now. I have stayed in France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Czech, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, & Switzerland (but didn't have to pay), and I stayed in a dorm in London once. When planning for my trip to England this summer, I just couldn't believe that prices were higher everywhere I looked, but I'll keep on looking and now I will call or fax and see if I can get a deal. Again, thanks Alec and the others for taking the question seriously, and for the tip to simply ask.

Diane

Search the web and follow multiple links. Somehow one night, I ended up on an Internet Special Spring sale for Moat House Hotels, and booked a double on Sloane Square in London for 75 GBP/night this April. The rack rate is 170 GBP. Deals are out there, and you've nothing to lose in asking -- especially if you plan to stay 5 or more nights.

Lesli

If Mike is from the U.S., it also has to do with the currency exchange factor for US $ to GB pounds. This affects all costs, of course, not just lodgings.... <BR><BR>But it is also true that hotels are dealing a bit more lately because of the downturn in tourism. Several postings have mentioned very good rates for London hotels found on londontown.com. Lastminute.com and laterooms.com often have excellent rates if you are willing to either gamble or cancel a previous reservation shortly before your dates of travel.

Leslie

I don't find London that expensive, especially because entrance into most of the museums is now free. So, I guess you need to take that into account, as most other museums in other cities charge entrance fees.<BR><BR>I think that the price of seats in London is more than reasonable and more of a bargain compared to the US, as long as you buy your tickets at the Half Price Ticket Booth in Leicester Square.<BR><BR>Mike, if you're interested in staying in B&Bs either in London or in the countryside, I think you will find very reasonable prices. Check out www.tuckedin.com for a list of B&Bs. Some of them are delightful, and most have private bathrooms.<BR><BR>Lastly, if you get a metro pass, you'll save a lot of money in London. Actually, I think that metro passes throughout the major cities in Europe are a bargain. Just as an example, a metro pass in Budapest for a week costs $7. Now, in Boston, a T-pass for 3 days is $15.

chris

You also have to take into consideration that property is incredibly expensive (especially in SE England). The country is just overcrowded.

Leslie

I'm traveling to London in two weeks and must say the bargains on London hotels are plentiful, but strangely, I'm not finding a single B & B or Hotel in other towns (Cambridge, York, Windsor) willing to offer anything less than their published rates. I don't really understand this pattern.

Tannin

I stayed at St. Giles hotel last week for &pound;45 per night. This is incredibly cheap for a hotel which is centrally located. There are pleanty of offers right now if you look around. I got this offer through lateroom.com.

David

Mike<BR><BR>It's all due to supply and demand. London has a shortage of good three star tourist hotels, which keeps prices in this sector buoyant. Visitor numbers are way down so there are bargains out there to be had. However, it is the four and five star hotels that are having the most difficulties at the moment and the ones where the real bargains are to be had. My advice is to aim high.

James

But things are expensive in the U.K., and it's not just hotel rooms. Cars are roughly 20%-30% more expensive than in the U.S., and about 10%-20% more expensive than in the rest of Europe.<BR><BR>In the U.S., you can buy a pair of Levi's on sale for $30. In the U.K., the same pair of jeans costs 40-60 pounds. Same goes for trainers (sneakers) and other clothes.<BR><BR>This is a simplified explanation, but I didn't want to take up pages and pages:<BR><BR>What I've learned is that the U.S. consumer demands quality goods at a fair price, and are very vocal when their demands aren't met. They also vote with their feet, and don't reward high prices with their business.<BR><BR>On the other hand, U.K. residents tend to be much more accepting. They simply pay high prices without complaint. Therefore, merchants keep prices high. I also read an interesting study that showed that if someone in the U.K. had a bad experience with a merchant, instead of going to another merchant in the future, they simply go back to where they received bad service because they "couldn't be bothered" (a favorite phrase over there) to try a new business.<BR><BR>So while there are obviously U.S. tourists using these hotels, they typically are one-time customers. There's not a great deal of repeat business, so the hotels don't have much incentive to lower prices.

Greg

Good News!<BR><BR>Prices in London are going down. I just looked up the cost of the hotel I stayed in last year and it has gone down 15 GBP! I would imagaine hotels will stay low for a while, but London can be expensive unless you shop around.<BR><BR>Greg<BR>