Europe's most expensive hotel rooms are in London

London is the most expensive capital in Europe in which to book a hotel room, according to average rates recorded during the third quarter of the year by online travel agent HRS.

With an average room rate of £140 across one- to five-star hotels, London is £15 more expensive than Zurich (£125), with Istanbul in third place at £110 per night. Meanwhile, Milan enjoyed the quarter's largest room rate increase of nearly 20%, with the rate now standing at £90 per night.

The biggest drop in rates has occurred in Moscow with a fall of 20% to £64. Madrid, Paris and Rome also saw minor decreases in average rates, recording declines of 4.3% to £62, -1.5% to £95 and -1% to £69 respectively.

In the UK, Edinburgh retained its position as the second most expensive destination in the UK (£116), with an increase of 7%. Bristol emerged as the third most expensive place to stay in the UK for the first time, following an increase of 17% to £96. This could possibly be attributed to the instalment of the Shaun in the City trail, as well as the annual Balloon Fiesta.

The highest uplift in rates was seen in Cardiff, with a 31% increase to £95.

Jon West, managing director of HRS for the UK and Ireland, said: "In Cardiff, major sporting events such as the Rugby World Cup (RWC) and the Ashes, which took place during Q3 2015, will have contributed to the room rate increases as hoteliers capitalise on the surge in demand from visitors.

"Indeed RWC matches played in Cardiff, Gloucester and Exeter could have driven demand for rooms in the area, meaning that Bristol benefited too. This could be one of the reasons why it has moved into the top three most expensive places to stay in the UK. Looking at the UK as a whole, room rates are remaining buoyant as business and leisure travellers continue to have a rise in confidence when it comes to spending."