Hotel prices up to 400% higher on Ed Sheeran gig nights
Sheeran announced plans yesterday for seven gigs in Cork, Galway, Belfast, and Dublin in May as part of his European tour.
Within hours, hotels were accused of profiteering after it emerged room rates on the nights of two of his gigs were between 200% and 400% higher than previous nights’ rates.
The Burlington Hotel’s best available room-only rate on May 15, 2018, was available on its website yesterday for €199. When Sheeran plays the next day, the rate is €399. The price drops to €199 for May 17 but soars again to €399 for May 18 when Sheeran plays his second Dublin gig.
In Cork, the Rochestown Park Hotel was advertising a single room rate of €80.10 online yesterday for May 3, 2018. The room is €341 the next day, when Sheeran opens his tour in Cork.
Rochestown Park Hotel’s sales and marketing manager, Diarmuid Vaughan, said the higher rate has nothing to do with the concerts and is linked to the number of rooms left to sell.
He said the hotel has just 12 rooms left to sell on May 4, and 28 on May 5, and the higher price on the nights of the Sheeran gigs is a result of the industry’s sales model.
“It is consistent throughout the regions, and in other sales models, including that used in the airline business, where the last few seats always go for a higher rate.”
He also said the hotel sold a handful of rooms two weeks ago for around €400.
However, Labour Party activist Peter Horgan urged the hotels to “show restraint and avoid the naked greed” on show with the higher prices.
