London Hotel Rates Plummet as Olympics Loom, Survey Uncovers

July 16, 2012

Cheaphotels.org recently conducted a survey of London's current hotel situation during the Olympic Games. Travelers who originally believed that seeing the Games in person would be too expensive thanks to exorbitant hotel rates might be in for a pleasant last-minute surprise.

With fewer than two weeks remaining until the opening ceremonies get underway, hotel owners in the British capital are slashing their overnight prices, according to the Cheaphotels.org survey.

When compared to the rates posted in January, hotel costs for the Olympics have decreased significantly, by an average of 36%. Back then, almost no rooms in central London could be found for under £200 nightly. Now, however, eleventh-hour travelers may be able to score a room for as low as £100.

How much one will pay for an Olympic-area hotel room depends largely on the neighborhood in which the establishment is located. London city proper and the wealthy districts of Mayfair and Knightsbridge will still set guests back a minimum of £200 per night. And that's at the cheapest available three-star hotel. Bayswater, St. Pancras and Earls Court, on the other hand, are much more budget-friendly. There, similar rooms are going for around £100 nightly.

The following table shows the average daily rates for the cheapest available hotel room (minimum: 3 star hotel) in the various neighborhoods of London for the Olympic timeframe of July 27– August 12. The first number reflects the average weekend (Friday through Sunday) weekend rate, while the second number indicates the average weekday (Monday through Thursday) cost.

District	Avg. Weekend Rate	Avg. Weekday Rate
Bayswater	£105	£106
Paddington	£111	£87
Bloomsbury	£165	£155
Docklands	£158	£158
Knightsbridge	£223	£187
Hammersmith	£124	£106
Hampstead	£177	£157
Earls Court	£90	£93
Marylebone	£177	£155
Mayfair	£224	£226
Waterloo	£149	£139
St. Pancras	£101	£105
The City	£224	£200
Victoria	£107	£97