Ukrainian Hotels Skyrocketing Rates up to 1335% for Euro 2012
Last update: April 11, 2012
Football fanatics who want to root for England in person at Euro 2012 in the Ukraine better get their credit cards ready if they hope to score a hotel room. With just two months remaining until the competition gets underway, hotel owners are capitalizing on the demand for their rooms by hiking their rates. CheapHotels.org discovered this price gouging with a survey that compared available hotel rooms for the Three Lions' group games.
On the dates when England goes head to head with France and the Ukraine in Donetsk, available rooms in the host city are already few and far between. And those few that still have vacancies are charging a pretty pence for the privilege of staying there. The best price to be had near the stadium on game days is at the budget Agat Hotel, but even it is not cheap. Typically priced at GBP 39, its rooms have soared 785% for Euro 2012 to GBP 335 per night.
Those fans seeking more luxurious accommodations will pay even more. The 4-star Shakhtar Plaza, for instance, in the center of Donetsk, is charging GBP 500 per night for its remaining rooms. Compared to its usual rate of GBP 100, that's a 400% price hike.
England's second game against Sweden in Kiev has a little more wiggle room for last-minute travelers. If they're willing to stay in the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, there are still plenty of rooms to pick from, with some going for less than GBP 100 per night. Rooms in the center of the action, however, are not so budget friendly. In fact, their rates have skyrocketed as much as 1335%. The Hostel Downtown is a good case in point where rooms that regularly go for GBP 59 are now listed at GBP 847 per night compared.
The one hopeful note comes from UEFA's official tour agency. CheapHotels.org's detective work has unearthed this piece of good news: Many of the rooms blocked off by the association will not be needed and will be released at the end of April. As a result, waiting until the eleventh hour may be the best plan of attack when it comes to scoring an affordable room.
About the Methodology:
The survey was conducted March 23 to 27, 2012. Available hotels in Kiev and Donetsk and their rates for a standard double room for England's three Euro 2012 group games were established based on a search of the leading hotel-booking sites: Expedia, LateRooms, and Booking.com.
