Hotel prices in Dublin dropped by more than 10 per cent in the past few months of last year, a survey revealed today.
The survey by hotels.com found the average price of a stay in a two-star hotel was €89 - down more than a fifth on the same period in 2004 - while a night in a three-star hotel was €93 a night, down €14 per cent on 2004.
It revealed a near-collapse in the lower end of the market, with only a €4 difference between two- and three-star hotels. But the survey also showed top-of-the-range hotels were being forced to cut prices heavily.
Prices for a four-star stay dropped by a fifth to €130, while the cost of a five-star night fell by a quarter to €183.
John Power, Irish Hotels Federation chief executive, said the cut in prices should not come as a surprise. "That is the general sentiment that has been around in the last couple of years. It is much more competitive," he said.
"There is serious determination on giving value for money and getting the volume through."
A spokeswoman for Tourism Ireland said: "What we have been saying all along is that contrary to a lot of Rip-Off Ireland stories Ireland is relatively inexpensive.
"There is good value to be had getting here and the hotels here are offering good packages."
The hotels.com survey also examined what tourists could get for €144. In Berlin visitors can get a room in a five-star hotel, a one-star room in New York, while in Dublin €144 will cover the cost of a stay in the dearer four-star hotels.