Hotel prices in Bali fall, Hotels.com Hotel Price Index finds

AN INFLUX of new hotels and resorts has led to a drop in prices at some of Australia's favourite holiday destinations.

It's time to pack your bags ... New hotels and villa competition have led to price drops in Bali. Picture: Design Hotels

AN INFLUX of new hotels and resorts has led to a drop in accommodation prices at some of Australia's favourite holiday destinations.

Average hotel prices in Bali have fallen 11 per cent in the first half of this year while in Langkawi in Malaysia prices have fallen 13 per cent, according to Hotels.com's latest Hotel Price Index. LATEST TRAVEL NEWS PICTURES: WORLD'S TALLEST HOTELS Hotels.com regional marketing director Katherine Cole said it was good news for Australian travellers. "In Bali there's a hotel development boom going on, but there has also been competition from privately-owned villas, so that's really impacting the hotel industry," she said. "You can still get a five-star hotel there at a four-star price." PICTURES: WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE HOTELS Hotel prices in Bali had fallen to $138 per night while in Langkawi rates have decreased to $203 per night. The survey found hotel prices in Australia had remained relatively stable. PERTH PRICIEST CITY IN AUSTRALIA Perth was still the most expensive capital city with average hotel prices at $200 per night, despite a five per cent drop as the mining boom slowed. But prices in other mining areas had grown, with average hotel stays in the Hunter Valley in NSW and Darwin in the Northern Territory increasing by 12 per cent and six per cent respectively. Prices in Sydney were up nine per cent to $190 per night while in Melbourne prices were up four per cent to $163 per night. Alice Springs was the best value-for-money destination at $114 per night, while the Whitsundays was the most expensive at $254 a night, despite a small drop. Queensland dominated the top ten best-value domestic destinations, with hotel prices in Cairns averaging $132 per night, Townsville $151 and the Gold Coast $158. But hotel prices in other popular destinations for Australians rose. In Anaheim - the gateway to Disneyland in California - prices rose 18 per cent to $160 per night on average while at Ko Phi Phi in Thailand they increased 16 per cent to $166. The biggest price rise was in Jakarta which increased 32 per cent to $134 per night on average, largely thanks to growth in business travel and more people using the city as a stopover destination. The Hotels.com HPI is based on bookings made on Hotels.com sites around the world and tracks the real prices paid per hotel room (rather than advertised rates) for more than 150,000 properties, comparing prices paid throughout the first half of 2012 with those paid in the same period in 2013. Biggest hotel price falls 1. Seoul $128 -22% 2. Buenos Aires $121 -17% 3. Warsaw $95 -17% 4. Madrid $121 -15% 5. Langkawi $179 -13% 6. Bali $138 -11% 7. Cape Town $159 -11% 8. Rarotonga $203 -11% 9. Perth $194 -11% 10. Sabah $128 -8% Biggest hotel price rises 1. Jakarta $134 +32% 2. Moscow $245 +25% 3. Boracay $157 +20% 4. Anaheim $160 +18% 5. Dubai $222 +18% 6. Istanbul $181 +17% 7. Ko Phi Phi $166 +16% 8. Penang $133 +16% 9. Cancun $234 +14% 10. Nice $226 +14% Best value Australian destinations: 1. Alice Springs $114 +3% 2. Cairns $132 +3% 3. Launceston $136 -3% 4. Adelaide $141 -2% 5. Kalgoorlie $148 +12% 6. Townsville $151 +5% 7. Gold Coast $158 +2% 8. Blue Mountains, NSW $161-2% 9. Hobart $162 +6% 10. Melbourne $163 4% Hotel prices at top ten overseas destinations for Australian travellers: 1. New York $277 +2% 2. London $217 +2% 3. Singapore$222 (no change) 4. Bali $138 -11% 5. Las Vegas $145 +1% 6. Honolulu $250 +11% 7. Los Angeles $199 +4% 8. Paris $233 +3% 9. Auckland $122 +10% 10. Tokyo $153 -4% "Like" Escape.com.au on Facebook Follow Angela Saurine on Twitter