With the 2016 Six Nations Championship kicking off in Edinburgh and Paris on Saturday, hotel prices have increased by up to 317 per cent.
According to the analysis of hotel search website trivago.co.uk, hotel prices have increased by up to 317 per cent in Cardiff, where an overnight stay on the Wales vs France match on 26 February will cost an average of £510.
The largest price hikes can be found in Cardiff, which will host the most expensive match on 26 February, when Wales plays Scotland at the Millennium Stadium. An overnight stay will cost an average of £510 – a 317 per cent increase from an average of £122 during February and March. The second and third most expensive matches are also in Cardiff – prices are up by 183 per cent to £347 for Wales vs Scotland on 13 February, and up to 157 per cent to £315 for Wales vs Italy on 19 March.
The second largest price hikes can be found in Edinburgh, where prices have increased by 147 per cent for Scotland vs England on 6 February and by 82 per cent for Scotland vs France on 13 March, giving an average hotel price of £280 and £207, respectively. Hotel availability is also very low in both these cities – ranging from 7 to 11 per cent for the Cardiff matches and 8 to 22 per cent for the Edinburgh matches.
Rome and Paris cheapest
The cheapest city for a match day hotel stay is Rome, where a hotel room will cost an average of £94 for Italy vs England on 14 February and £84 for Italy vs Scotland on 27 February. The average price per night in Rome during February and March is £83.
The second cheapest city is Paris, where the price differences vary from -5 per cent to 14 per cent, when comparing match days to the monthly average. The cheapest match for a hotel stay is France vs Italy on 6 February (£116), followed by France vs Ireland on 13 February (£122) and France vs England on 19 March (£131). There is high hotel availability in Paris for all match days, ranging from 36 to 38 per cent.
2016 Six Nations Championship: Hotel Prices & Availability
| Date | Match | Location | Average Price Match Day | Average Price Feb/Mar* | Percentage Difference | Hotel Availability |
| 6 Feb | France vs Italy | Paris | £116 | £122 | -5% | 37% |
| 6 Feb | Scotland vs England | Edinburgh | £280 | £113 | 147% | 8% |
| 7 Feb | Ireland vs Wales | Dublin | £139 | £114 | 22% | 50% |
| 13 Feb | France vs Ireland | Paris | £122 | £122 | 0% | 36% |
| 13 Feb | Wales vs Scotland | Cardiff | £347 | £122 | 183% | 11% |
| 14 Feb | Italy vs England | Rome | £94 | £83 | 14% | 15% |
| 26 Feb | Wales vs France | Cardiff | £510 | £122 | 317% | 7% |
| 27 Feb | Italy vs Scotland | Rome | £84 | £83 | 2% | 15% |
| 27 Feb | England vs Ireland | London | £168 | £162 | 4% | 33% |
| 12 Mar | Ireland vs Italy | Dublin | £173 | £114 | 51% | 27% |
| 12 Mar | England vs Wales | London | £178 | £162 | 10% | 33% |
| 13 Mar | Scotland vs France | Edinburgh | £207 | £113 | 82% | 22% |
| 19 Mar | Wales vs Italy | Cardiff | £315 | £122 | 157% | 9% |
| 19 Mar | Ireland vs Scotland | Dublin | £192 | £114 | 68% | 18% |
| 19 Mar | France vs England | Paris | £131 | £122 | 7% | 38% |
*Average price between 6 February and 19 March (the Six Nations match period)
Denise Bartlett, UK Public Relations: “This is a clear case of supply and demand, with the largest price hikes found in the cities with the lowest hotel availability. Cardiff exhibited similar problems during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, where hotel prices peaked at £1018. Edinburgh also experiences similar difficulties annually during the month-long Edinburgh Festival in August.
Fans still wanting to attend a match in the UK should consider London, where hotel prices are lower and availability is higher than Cardiff or Edinburgh. Overseas, both England and Scotland will play in Rome, where hotel prices are low and availability is sufficient.”
