Hotel hikes of up to 113 per cent for Royal Wedding

Visitors planning a trip to London to join the Royal wedding celebrations may be forced to pay premiums of up to 113 per cent, equivalent to an extra £401, according to research from Santander Credit Cards.

The findings show that a two-night stay at London hotels is on average 26 per cent more expensive on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th April, the nights just before and after Prince William and Kate Middleton's marriage, than the equivalent stay a week later.

Santander Cards looked at the cost of a two-night stay for two adults at a range of 4-star hotels in central London. The research revealed price hikes of as much as 113 per cent at one hotel in W2, with a room for two adults around the time of the Royal wedding costing £757.60 for a two-night stay compared to just £356.50 the week after.

However, a minority of hotels -10 per cent of those used for the snapshot survey - are actually reducing prices around the time of the Royal wedding. For example, one hotel near Marble Arch is charging £469 for a two night stay during this period, £102 cheaper than the following week.

Ian Coles, Director at Santander Cards, commented: "London is set to be a hot tourist destination on the wedding weekend, and with Friday 29th giving us an extra bank holiday, many hotels are basing their prices on supply and demand. The Royal wedding will be a welcome boost for many businesses in and around the capital and, although a good many hotels have increased their prices for the weekend, if visitors are prepared to look around there are some good deals still available."