Hotel prices increase by 317% during Six Nations

International rugby competition the Six Nations – which will be hosted in Edinburgh, Cardiff, London, Dublin, Rome and Paris – will see the price of UK hotels rise by as much as 317%.

The largest price hikes during the championship will be found in Cardiff, which will host the most expensive match on 26 February, when Wales plays Scotland at the Millennium Stadium. An overnight stay will cost an average of £510 – a 317% increase from an average of £122 during February and March.

The second and third most expensive matches are also in Cardiff – hotel prices are up by 183% to £347 for Wales vs Scotland on 13 February, and 157% to £315 for Wales vs Italy on 19 March.

The second largest price hikes can be found in Edinburgh, where prices have increased by 147% for Scotland vs England on 6 February and by 82% for Scotland vs France on 13 March, giving an average hotel price of £280 and £207, respectively.

Trivago said hotel availability is also very low in both these cities – ranging from 7% to 11% for the Cardiff matches and 8% to 22% for the Edinburgh matches.

During the championship, which kicks off in Edinburgh and Paris on Saturday, 6 January, hotel prices in London are only up by 10%, and room availability is higher than Cardiff and Edinburgh.

Denise Bartlett, Trivago’s UK press officer, said: “This is a clear case of supply and demand, with the largest price hikes found in the cities with the lowest hotel availability.

“Cardiff exhibited similar problems during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, where hotel prices peaked at £1018. Edinburgh also experiences similar difficulties annually during the month-long Edinburgh Festival in August.”

“Fans still wanting to attend a match in the UK should consider London, where hotel prices are lower and availability is higher than Cardiff or Edinburgh.”

The figures come after the Rugby World Cup last year, which VisitBritain said injected £1bn directly into the UK economy.