As Olympics approaches, London hotels don’t come cheap

Oxford Street, London.

HOTELS. Chances are you can still secure a room during the London Olympic Games – but it won’t be cheap.

“You can still get some rooms in certain periods of the games in July–August, although we expect to be fully booked soon,” says  Simon Negger, spokesman for the Maybourne Hotel Group, to the Associated Press. Maybourne owns three of London’s most iconic hotels, Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley.

It is a hard balancing act for the city’s hotels, wanting to maximize revenues while at the same time trying to avoid to scare away potential customers with too high prices. Some have not increased rates beyond normal high summer season prices, AP reports, but have instead imposed minimum stays and stricter cancellation policies.

Others, meanwhile, charge high prices for one night’s stay. The Savoy will set you back at least 2,750 pounds ($4,400) for one of its suites on the banks of the Thames River, according to an AP survey. The Ritz wants between 755 pounds and 3,255 pounds ($1,200 to $5,200) for one night’s accommodation.

For budget travelers, chances to secure lodging during the Olympics seem to be higher if turning to the city’s outer parts. A quick search on the Hotels.com booking site for the dates 16-19 of July generated a broad selection of hostels and cheaper hotels in parts like Islington and at the Heathrow Airport. The Generator Hostel in Islington, as an example, featured dorms for 20-22 pounds per night, with a standard twin bed running at 53 pounds. The Bayswater Inn at Princes Square, London, still had rooms left in early April with an average nightly rate at 61 pounds, according to Hotels.com.