Stag parties 'could bag bargain hotel stays'

Stag night revellers may not be planning much sleep during the course of their big weekend away, but the offer of cut-price hotel rooms will still be good news for most.

According to the trivago Hotel Price Index, room rates across Europe have fallen by seven per cent over the course of the past 12 months as hoteliers compete to attract credit-crunched tourists.

Indeed, the cost of an overnight stay in some top European cities has been cut by almost a quarter in comparison to July last year, while many UK regions have also seen a reduction in room rates.

Robert Bernard, partner responsible for hotel consultancy at advisory firm PKF, said this will come as a boost to cash-strapped travellers looking for a low-cost weekend away.

"Hotels are being more competitive in terms of the prices that they are setting, and therefore that is good news for travellers. Hopefully that will spur on travellers to come," he said.

According to the Hotel Price Index, the price of a room in the popular stag night resort of Brighton has fallen by 14 per cent since last July, while an overnight stay in Manchester now costs 17 per cent less.