LONDON, Feb 26 — London’s hotels will see a record year in 2012, a leading analyst has predicted this week.

Travellers heading to the British capital between August and September will see the city’s hotels almost 92 per cent full, according to forecasts by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), as the Olympic Games coincide with the busy summer season.

That means visitors may have their work cut out to find hotel rooms during the period, with some reports suggesting that private accommodation in the city is likely to cost £1,000 (RM4,783) per room, per week, rising in the area closest to the Olympic Village, Stratford.

The surge in visitors expected from both London 2012 and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is expected to leave hotels nearly 84 per cent full throughout 2012, the highest occupancy seen since the 1970s.

Compared to an average daily rate of £135 in 2012, PwC predicts that the period between August and September will see rates rise to £156.

The good news for consumers is that PwC believes that rooms will be cheaper next year, especially given the explosion in budget brands such as Tune Hotels and easyHotel.

“What is surprising perhaps is the high proportion of budget hotels that are being developed in London,” said PwC’s Liz Hall.

“In the last three years London has seen a 13 per cent increase in the number of budget rooms and will have approaching 24,000 budget rooms by the end of this year.” — AFP/Relaxnews