According to HRG data, in 2008 an overnight stay in a hotel in Abu Dhabi cost an average of 1,302 dirhams ($355), but in the first two months of 2009 the average price rose to 1,546 dirhams ($421), lifting the capital of the United Arab Emirates from fifth place to first in the company's list.
Among the ten cities with the most expensive hotels in the world, prices increased slightly over the year only in Abu Dhabi (by 19%) and in India's Bangalore (by 1%). In second place on the list is Moscow, where hotel prices fell by 5%, in third place is Qatar's capital Doha (-3%).
Fourth place is occupied by Delhi with a price drop of 21%, and fifth place by Dubai (-24%). New York, where accommodation prices fell by 16%, is in sixth place. Seventh place is Paris (-8%), eighth is Hong Kong (-9%), ninth is Milan (-18%). Closing the list are Mumbai (-26%), Bangalore, and Tokyo (-14%).
The reason for high accommodation prices in Abu Dhabi lies in a shortage of luxury hotels, however, hotel industry experts are confident that soon new hotels will appear on the market and prices will start to fall, as happened in Dubai, writes The Economist magazine.
Overall, as Travel.ru reports, hotel prices are falling worldwide. However, their owners are not ready to drop to the levels of September 2001, when, following the terrorist attacks in the US, hoteliers sharply cut prices only to raise them again later.
The data used in the HRG list are based on the average hotel prices paid by the company's British clients, which explains the absence of London from the ranking. After all, if a Briton stays on business in Moscow or Delhi, he usually chooses a five-star hotel. And if he has to stay in London, he has to settle for something more modest. As a result, the average room price in London reported by British tourists is only $206.
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