Airport hotels cash in on freezing weather
Hotels near London Heathrow airport have cashed in on delays and cancellations caused by freewzing weather, charging up to 300% more for rooms than prices for January 2011.
Thet's the finding from online booking site Hotels.com, which also recorded a 95% increase in searches for hotels near the airport between last Saturday's snowfall and yesterday, compared to the same period last year.
Alison Couper from Hotels.com said: "Clearly, availability for rooms around Heathrow is at a premium as travellers find themselves stranded as a result of the severe weather conditions - and prices rise as demand outstrips supply.
"Room rates are definitely going up but some providers are charging far more than others."
"There has been a big surge of activity on our website as people try to find rooms near Heathrow rather than bed down in the terminals."
Hotels.com, which has more than 130,000 hotels on its site with nearly 1,000 hotels in London alone, also noted prices for hotel rooms near Gatwick airport were up to 74% above prices for January 2011.
Couper said: "There is still availability around London's airports with some reasonable deals but the increase in demand is having a varying impact on the pricing structures of operators."
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By Neil Gerrard
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