DUBAI – Room rates for Dubai and Abu Dhabi both saw double-digit growth in the first half of 2012 for UK travellers, Hotels.com's Hotels Price Index revealed. The average room rate for UK-based customers booking hotels in Dubai rose 21 percent to £134 ($213), while Abu Dhabi rates were up 12 percent to £113. This compares to a rise of 8.4 percent and a fall of 12 percent, respectively, in the emirates themselves, Hotelier Middle East reported Wednesday. However, elsewhere in the region, Muscat room rates fell 25 percent, from £238 in H1 2011 to £179 for the same period this year. This still placed the Omani capital as the third most expensive destination for UK travellers. The cheapest destination on the index was the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, for which room rates were down 12 percent to £35. The Index showed that hotel prices in two-thirds of overseas destinations rose for UK travellers, which “may appear daunting for those planning a trip abroad," said Hotels.com director of communications Alison Couper. However, she added that there are many destinations where they can still “pick up a bargain and get a maximum return on their travel budget." – Agencies
