Uluru and Darwin named the most expensive holiday destinations in Australia
ULURU and Darwin have been named as the most expensive holiday destinations in Australia.
Travel
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DARWIN ranks just behind Los Angeles in a list of the world’s most expensive holiday destinations that puts Uluru as the dearest place to stay in Australia.
The latest Hotels Price Index report based on bookings through Hotels.com, showed the average price paid to stay at Uluru was $300 a night in the first six months of this year, up from $287 in the same period last year.
In Darwin the average hotel room costs $212, up nine per cent from 2013.
On a global scale, only New York City ($316) and Rio de Janeiro ($302) were more expensive than the rock.
Darwin ranked 21st on the international list, just behind Milan and LA but ahead of Edinburgh, Chicago, Rome and Hong Kong.
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At the other end of the scale, Alice Springs offered the cheapest hotel stay in Australia at an average $106 a night, followed by Launceston in Tasmania at $141, which was up from $136.
A spokeswoman for Ayers Rock Resort questioned the methodology used by the price index, pointing out there were only five hotels listed at Uluru compared with 354 in Sydney.
“Every guest who stays at any accommodation at Ayers Rock Resort has access to a comprehensive suite of free daily guest activities which adds significantly to value for money,” she said.
The report found American and Chinese tourists tended to pay the most for accommodation in Australia, spending an average $192 a night followed by UK visitors ($188).
The weaker Australian dollar was credited for a shift in Aussie travelling habits, with more of us opting for cheaper destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok.
“Asian cities made up half of the top 10 overseas destinations,” said Hotels.com regional director Katherine Cole.
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