Prague and Munich are among the Christmas destinations that are expected to see an end of year price drop, as analysis of tweets and Google hotel searches predict the places offering the best deals.
Some of the most popular Christmas destinations including Prague and Munich, and some less traditional such as Nice and Amsterdam, are expected to see an end of year price drop, according to the Hotwire’s new Secret Travel Report.
At the moment, 4-star ‘Secret Hot Rate Hotels’ are currently available in Prague’s Old Town for £33 per night and Munich’s city centre for £78, but the Hotwire study shows further price drops are expected.
Hotwire analysed 90-days of Google searches, twitter conversations and hotel booking queries to gain insights into which popular destinations it believes are experiencing lower than usual demand and therefore could offer deeply discounted hotel stays in the coming weeks and months.
The analysis revealed that Nice, Ibiza, Munich, Prague and Istanbul currently top the list of destinations with best deals on short breaks abroad, with Belfast, Nottingham and Aberdeen coming out on top of the list of UK destinations.
Hotwire’s travel expert, Fulvia Montresor, said: “For three years, the number of visitors to Prague has been decreasing and whilst the trend is now reversing, the demand is still lower than usual and the prices reflect it.
“For those looking for a somewhat warmer and less traditional destination, we are recommending visiting the Christmas Village at the Place Masséna in Nice at the beginning of December. If you are travelling a little later and are a bit adventurous, you might even want to join the locals for the annual Christmas Day swim,” Fulvia added.
Hotwire predicts further price drops in these destinations:
1. Nice, France
2. Munich, Germany
3. Prague, Czech Republic
4. Istanbul, Turkey
5. Boston, USA
Staying closer to home
If you prefer to stay closer to home, Nottingham, Belfast and Aberdeen are all offering great prices. Nottingham has 4-star Secret Hot Rate Hotels for £66 and Hotwire expects the price to fall even further. The city has been promoting its Nottingham Winter Wonderland which started on 21 November in Nottingham's Old Market Square and includes a Victorian Bar, a singing snowman, stalls selling homemade crafts and, of course, a giant Christmas tree.
How to get the best price
Fulvia said: “Whether you are going to Christmas markets in Prague or escaping the holiday music by going to Istanbul, the biggest savings are usually available 2-4 weeks before departure via ‘secret hotel’ websites like Hotwire.
“Hotels that don’t want to publicise the fact they are discounting rooms frequently work with firms such as Hotwire to offer deep discounts via the secret rooms model, where the general location of the property is shown but the name of the hotel is not revealed until the booking is completed.
“This booking model allows holidaymakers to stay at 4 and 5-star hotels for 2-star prices and enables hotels to sell rooms that would otherwise remain unsold,” Fulvia advised.
For more information, visit www.hotwire.com
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