Dublin: 5 °C Saturday 9 March, 2013

Dublin hotel prices ‘up 174 per cent’ for St Patrick’s Day

Hotel search website Trivago says the average hotel room for Saturday week will cost €287 – up from the usual €105.

Image: Niall Carson/PA Archive

TOURISTS hoping to spend St Patrick’s Day in Dublin will have to pay up to 174 per cent more for a hotel room than those who visit the capital at other times of the month, according to one hotel search website.

Trivago says the price of an average hotel room in the capital for Saturday 16 March, the night before the main festivities in Dublin, this year stands at €287 – well above the €105 average price for a room across the entire month of March.

The site also says hotel rooms for this weekend – as the Ireland rugby team hosts France in the Six Nations championship – have also seen significant price increases.

The average hotel room in the capital this weekend costs €178, Trivago said.

The inflated prices will not just hit the pockets of tourists visiting from abroad, however: the website says 55 per cent of the searches for hotel rooms in the capital came from Irish internet users.

24 per cent of searches were from British users, with 8 per cent from Germany and 4 per cent from Italy.

Trivago’s figures also show that the price of the average hotel room in Dublin for March is up by 13 per cent compared to February’s price, with smaller increases in prices in the likes of Killarney and Galway.

Nationally, the price of an average hotel room is down by 3 per cent compared to last year, with Killarney in particular seeing a drop of 13 per cent.

Read: Ireland one of the top 20 most competitive holiday spots in world

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Comments (77 Comments)

  • Dave Gorman Yesterday, 7:05 AM #
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    So this is how you attract tourists to Ireland? By ramping up prices? Special Gathering price. Pint of Guinness and Coddle. Only €20! I understand it’s supply and demand but Ireland isn’t cheap for tourists anytime. Don’t complain about falling tourism when you gouge them at the mere whiff of money.

    Reply
  • neuromancer Yesterday, 7:07 AM #
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    While an increase should be expected, that’s just extortionate.

    Reply
    • rodrigo detriano Yesterday, 7:13 AM #
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      Its not as if this is something new. Look how much florists charge on Valentines day for example.

    • fabio entwhistle Yesterday, 9:41 AM #
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      And then they’re complaining about feeling the pinch and struggling to attract tourists..hello, maybe tourists don’t want to get their pants pulled down twice!A quick buck but a lasting negative effect-cant believe they don’t realise the damage they’re doing.

  • Galwaybay Yesterday, 6:45 AM #
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    It good to see the hotels are playing their part in attracting tourist to the country.

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  • eastpoint Yesterday, 6:46 AM #
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    I’m shocked! Irish businesses exploiting consumers! Who’d believe it! Quickly, someone call ISME and SFA

    Reply
    • Alan mulvey Yesterday, 7:05 AM #
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      Sure they will prob want another vat cut to help them out seeing there is sooo much trouble

    • Ted Carroll Yesterday, 7:06 AM #
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      In fairness it’s not an Irish thing! Every country/city/town in the world will see hotel prices increase when demand is high! Try get a cheap hotel in Edinburgh or Sydney for New Years! It’s upsetting that it happens but it’s universal!

    • OU812 Yesterday, 7:28 AM #
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      Anything up to100% more for an event like Paddy’s day is acceptable.

      174% ? That’s taking advantage € will bite them in the ass for the future.

  • Tal Tallon Yesterday, 6:53 AM #
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    lol, lightweights…
    Do what I do and stay up all night drinking and get the first bus home

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  • N o toole Yesterday, 7:15 AM #
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    Now I know why they’ve called it the gathering- it’s the gathering of every copper in your wallet in order to pay our ride me prices!

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  • Robert McGuinness Yesterday, 6:49 AM #
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    The shakedown begun

    Reply
  • Pat Kennedy Yesterday, 7:33 AM #
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    La di da… lets get all the gobsh*tes to The Gathering and take them for every penny they have… diddle-i-iddle….

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  • John Tierney Yesterday, 8:37 AM #
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    Come for the Gathering, stay for the Gouging!

    Reply
  • Mark Duffy Yesterday, 8:05 AM #
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    Who the hell decided The fella from westlife who’s microphone is never switched on could be grand Marshall

    Reply
  • mikeobrien4FM Yesterday, 7:29 AM #
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    Welcome home emigrants! Not a thing has changed!

    Reply
  • John Clarke Yesterday, 11:11 AM #
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    Rip-off Ireland is alive and well…. and no doubt Ryanair and Aer Lingus rates have taken a jump this week too. The Gathering my arse!

    Reply
  • bitethedust Yesterday, 6:54 AM #
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    Welcome to rip off ireland.

    Reply
  • haram halal Yesterday, 8:48 AM #
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    The rip off mentality could easily be cured by action from DCC and Government. Remember the change over to Euro empty promise prices would not rise ? Consumer protection could fine the asses off the wrongdoers to take a size able chunk out of their income but it never happens because the members of the dail and DCC have investment in the same exploiters . Always part of the problem never the solution . Like the illegal government tax on importing cars from UK the fine paid the EU every year still leaves plenty in the states pocket . Ripoff always starts at the top .

    Reply
  • Stevie Leslie Yesterday, 7:09 AM #
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    More fool the stupid idiots that will pay that

    Reply
  • Tony Skillington Yesterday, 7:39 AM #
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    Annoys me no end…6 months from now they’ll be moaning about Nama controlled banks trying to put them out of business. Nothing but pure gluttony

    Reply
    • Stephen Curtis Yesterday, 7:55 AM #
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      its just basic supply and demand…if the prices are too high people won’t stay and guess what hotels are always full on paddys day. but it is nice to have a moan anyway ;)

  • hide&Seek Yesterday, 7:05 AM #
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    why am I not surprised? …its been going on for years, Rugby season is a typical example …but it will hit them hard again and than they will wonder why when figures are down…

    Reply
  • Bill Yesterday, 9:29 AM #
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    Regarding hotel rip off some selected lines from William Butler Yeats poem
    “September 1913″ seem very apt 100 years on.

    What need you being come to sense
    But fumble in a greasy till
    Romantic Ireland is dead and gone
    It’s with O Leary in his grave

    Reply
  • _doesnotcompute Yesterday, 12:17 PM #
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    So is this only a Dublin thing? Myself and the missus are heading down to Cork for Paddy’s weekend – we booked rooms in a budget hotel on the outskirts of the city centre for €30pps

    Reply
  • ISSA Yesterday, 8:06 AM #
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    Tried booking myself a hotel and found whole hotels are booked and the one got was €240 a night with a maximum of 3 days stay …… I think that’s is exploring consumers

    Reply
  • Paul Bracken Yesterday, 7:51 AM #
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    That’s why tourism is ruined in ireland. The tourist will always come the once if the tourist gets ripped off then why come again. So lessons are clearly not learned by our government. ”Fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me”

    Reply
    • _doesnotcompute Yesterday, 12:15 PM #
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      How is it the government’s fault that hoteliers are engaging in extortion? Typical Irish attitude – blame everyone except the guilty party

  • Eoin Darcy Yesterday, 11:24 AM #
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    This is going to happen,name and shame would make such a better article and actually be constructive.pointing at the whole hotel industry just panders to the moans.

    Reply
  • jackass ireland Yesterday, 10:28 AM #
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    The Gather-cha-ching

    Shake the tourists down at the airport to make sure they don’t leave with any money in their pockets, slap a shamrock sticker on their back and tell them thanks for coming.

    Reply
  • Roy Scott Yesterday, 7:50 AM #
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    Actually it’s no more than all cities do when something big is in town…ever checked out an F1 weekend..
    It’s not the hotels, it’s capitalism ….welcome to the world of supply and demand……

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  • The Red Devil Yesterday, 9:26 AM #
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    Well done , what a bunch of greedy ar*eholes, their sector in ruins and they act this way- jackin up the price-great buisness sense there- but no to worry most will be in receivership come the summer – the gathering my arse- where’s Kenny – off to the USA
    Wheel Varadkar out here to pass some “u will do as ur told comment” it’s sad but the death of the fine Geal party has started and O Reilly , Varadkar , Kenny, etc are to stupid to see it- people are already switching back to FF what does that tell u- the death knell for the FG party has started – time is running out fast – election 2014 get ready

    Reply
  • kmccaul Yesterday, 7:50 AM #
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    Do we need to enforce sustainability?
    Surely after the over inflation, which has affected the vast majority in this population so adversely, what is it that needs to be done, in order to educate and discipline run away rip off merchants?
    Whilst I find the German way to be really boring and painful from an Irish perspective, we sure as hell could learn
    alot about economic fundamentals and how to run a shop.

    Reply
  • Andrew Telford Yesterday, 8:37 AM #
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    Opportunity for Dubliners to be enterprising… Rent out your apartment or a spare room that week and use the cash to spend the same week on the beach or in the sun. Plenty of websites out there where you can do so.

    In all fairness if you leave it until the week before a major event in any city you’re asking to be gouged…

    Reply
  • Enda Story Yesterday, 7:18 AM #
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    How much is a Ryanair or Aer Lingus Flight to London for Heineken Cup Weekend in April? Why does the same advert on RTE/ Newstalk cost more than double at prime time?
    When you average hotel prices in Dublin over a year taking highs and lows they reamain the 3rd lowest in EC and lower than 80% internationally.
    Bit of a media cheap shot.

    Reply
  • Patrick Linehan Yesterday, 6:51 AM #
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    When the sun shines!

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  • Catherine lonergan Yesterday, 6:49 AM #
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    Typical Dublin

    Reply
  • Sean Herbert Yesterday, 7:01 AM #
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    It’s called supply & demand. Happens everywhere with everything. It’s the foundation of economics. What’s the problem?

    Reply
    • mattoid Yesterday, 7:57 AM #
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      The problem is that the short-term gain mentality leads to long-term stagnation, when people simply choose to holiday elsewhere where they don’t feel like they’ve been ripped off (and probably tell their friends about it too)…

    • Bill Yesterday, 8:00 AM #
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      Problem is Sean them same tourists will never come back.

    • Sean Herbert Yesterday, 8:29 AM #
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      I agree with you both in theory, but in reality most of these hoteliers are struggling and can’t afford to look past the short term gain – that’s the reality. You’d do the same thing if it made it easier to pay wages & get creditors off your back in the short term. Maybe they can’t afford to look at the long term because they don’t know if they’ll be around.

      I’m not saying it’s right – not at all – I’m just saying that before you criticise, consider that maybe some of them have to do it.

    • mattoid Yesterday, 8:37 AM #
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      Sean, your argument may have some merit if it wasn’t for the fact that rip-offs like this have been happening for years, including at the height of the celtic tiger when no hotel could claim to have been struggling.

    • Sean Herbert Yesterday, 8:39 AM #
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      mattoid – they’ve been happening in every country for every big event forever. So whats your point? Again; it’s basic supply & demand -get over it.

    • mattoid Yesterday, 8:48 AM #
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      I agree prices are hiked elsewhere, but I’d be surprised if its by as much as 174%.
      Leaving aside special events Ireland has been one of the most expensive countries in Europe for the last 15 years and huge profits were being made during the celtic tiger.
      Thats now coming back to bite us as people (including our own citizens) have realised they can holiday elsewhere in europe and further afield and get much better value for money.

    • mattoid Yesterday, 8:51 AM #
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      Why would I stay in Ireland for a week when I can fly Ryanair to Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia or virtually anywhere else in europe and stay for a fortnight for the same price??

    • Sean Herbert Yesterday, 8:54 AM #
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      They’re not targeting you, Matt. You’re free to leave that weekend. But there will be thousands of tourists here looking for a place to stay.
      Again – I’m not saying I agree with it – I never said I did or didn’t – I’m saying it’s supply & demand.

    • mattoid Yesterday, 9:13 AM #
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      Yes Sean, and there are tens of thousands of ‘me’s’ that have now given up on staying in Ireland to holiday (or coming to Ireland on holiday) because like me they know they can get much better value for their money elsewhere.

      That’s the point I’m making about short-term gain vs long-term sustainability.

    • Sean Herbert Yesterday, 9:19 AM #
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      I’m glad you don’t run my business, Matt. Because whilst you’d probably have my hotel fully booked, my competitors would also be fully booked but making up to 74% more than me that weekend.

    • mattoid Yesterday, 10:02 AM #
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      Sean, your competitor in this case is not the hotel up the road, they’re the hotels all over Europe. Tens of thousands of ‘me’s’ taking our money elsewhere for better value adds up to an awful lot of lost revenue for the Irish tourism industry. Sad, but thats the reality.

    • Sean Herbert Yesterday, 10:06 AM #
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      Matt: the competitor in this case (i.e. Paddy’s weekend) is the hotel up the road.

    • David Memery Yesterday, 10:15 AM #
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      @mattoid, you go on about the scourge of short term gain, yet let the prices of only 1 weekend dictate where you holiday for the rest of the year. Ironic

    • mattoid Yesterday, 2:53 PM #
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      David – its not about the price of one weekend.
      If you follow my link below you’ll see that Ireland is, outside scandanavia and switzerland, the most expensive country in europe for hotel and restaurant prices.

      That may be unpalatable to you, but the figures don’t lie. Thats why I, and countless others like me have seen the light and go overseas instead of staying in Ireland, to get much more value for my hard-earned euros.

    • Kieran Casey 23 hours ago #
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      Your picture is freaky…….

  • Bouile Yesterday, 8:16 AM #
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    happens everywhere unfortunately – not just in Dublin!

    Reply
  • Naomi Britton Yesterday, 2:16 PM #
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    Tourists are not just getting ripped off on Paddys Day- I couldn’t believe it when I went into a popular tourist pub in Temple bar where they charged 6.80 for a pint! No wonder the tourists say Ireland is too expensive…

    Reply
  • Justin Nolan Yesterday, 3:08 PM #
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    The gathering!!!!!

    Reply
  • cholly appleseed Yesterday, 11:54 AM #
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    That’s outrageous and plain greed. Surely the government should intervene, it is the gathering year after all. And little do they know, it’s going to be ruined by drinks and fighting youths

    Reply
  • Thomas Quinn Yesterday, 12:06 PM #
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    Every room everywhere in Dublin is booked. So the demand is there. No body likes high prices. But alot of places need to increase prices when they can to carry them through tougher times and there’s plenty of them. We only go to work to make money so fair play to them. We will hear that Celtic Tiger roar again.

    Reply

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