Best (and worst) months for Dubai hotel deals

For those planning a vacation in Dubai or any other major city in the world, keep this schedule in mind – particularly if you’re a budget-conscious traveller as it will surely help you save on hotel costs.

A new report dissects hotel stay costs at 25 international cities, and lists peak and off-peak rates for the destinations across the year.

According to Asian hotel booking website Agoda, the time you get the best deal for booking hotel in Dubai is (no surprises here) during the summer - between mid-May to end-July; and then again between the last week of August and the end of September.

During these summer periods, room rates drop substantially due to a slowdown in tourist arrivals, as resident expatriates fly out to their home countries.

On the other hand, the peak room rate periods for hotel stays in Dubai are during the last three weeks of January, the second and fourth weeks of February, the last two weeks of March, the second and third weeks of October, and the last week of December.

A surge in hotel room rates can be attributed to increased business and leisure activities during these periods, resulting in more foreign businessmen coming to the emirate and a jump in tourist arrivals during the cooler weather period.

According to STR Global figures released last week, the average daily room rate in Dubai rose 5 per cent to Dh638.66 in July 2014, even as occupancy rate dropped to 18-year low due to Ramadan.

Room rates stay normal during the rest of the period, Agoda data showed.

According to the website, June and July, traditionally popular vacation months, are inexpensive times to book hotels in Dubai, Milan and Vienna.

The last week in December, considered high season in most destinations, is a great time to travel to Oslo, Stockholm or Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh is the only other GCC city featured in the report. Room rates in Riyadh peak between the last week of May and mid-August. The best room rates are generally available in November and December, while the rest of the months see normal prices.

Other major cities featured in the report are Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Berlin, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, London, Milan, New York, Oslo, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo and Vienna.
 

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.