In the same week that Dublin hoteliers were put in the firing line following a reported 19% spike in room prices, global firm HRS has claimed its data puts Dublin hotel prices as the second most expensive in Europe, overtaking the likes of London and Stockholm.
The HRS data found that from between the second quarter of 2015 and 2016, Dublin's hotel room rates rose by 70 per cent to an average rate of €188 per night, while Oslo topped the list with an average rate of €214 per night, reports the Irish Times.
Speaking about the increase, Jon West, managing director of HRS for the UK and Ireland said: "Dublin is certainly one to watch at the moment and has recovered significantly following its recent economic crisis. The city is increasingly seen as an ideal business destination and has already attracted major global firms, including Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft. Therefore, more business travellers are coming to the city."
Although the Irish Hotels Federation had a different view, commenting: "The figures reported do not reflect the average rooms rates in Dublin during this period and are not representative of the 18,900 hotel rooms available for sale every day in Dublin. The IHF notes that industry figures show an average room rate of €111 in Dublin in 2015 and indicate an average rate of between €120 to €125 for the first half of 2016."
Ireland's tourism industry is already on track for a record year, but Patrick O'Donovan, the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, recently said he is “hugely concerned” about the effect of growing prices in the hospitality sector and warned against "prices spiraling out of control."
