London hotel prices soar ahead of the Queen’s funeral

Hotel prices are up to four times higher on Sunday compared with a week later, analysis by the PA news agency found.

Neil Lancefield
Monday 12 September 2022 14:58 BST
People planning to visit London for the Queen’s funeral face soaring hotel bills (Steve Parsons/PA)
People planning to visit London for the Queen’s funeral face soaring hotel bills (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Archive)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

People planning to visit London for the Queen’s funeral face soaring hotel bills.

Hotel prices are up to four times higher on Sunday – the night before the funeral – compared with a week later, analysis by the PA news agency found.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to line the streets of the capital during the funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Many visitors travelling long distances will need to spend the night before in a hotel as the service begins at 11am.

But the cheapest room at Park Plaza County Hall – one of the closest hotels to Westminster Abbey – on Sunday night costs £1,299 compared with £269 seven days later.

Crowne Plaza London Albert Embankment is charging £708 on the eve of the funeral.

That is nearly three times more than on Sunday September 25, when the price is £244.

Rooms at Novotel London Waterloo cost £490 on Sunday and £241 a week later.

Many hotels near Westminster Abbey owned by lower-priced chains such as Premier Inn and Travelodge are fully booked for Sunday night.

Premier Inn has no rooms left at several of its sites, including London County Hall, London Waterloo (Westminster Bridge) and London Victoria.

The nearest location with availability is London Leicester Square, 1.2 miles from Westminster Abbey.

Our website is attracting visitors from all corners of the UK and across the globe

Travelodge spokeswoman

Rooms cost £235 on Sunday, compared with £160 a week later.

The closest available Travelodge hotel is London Central City Road, 2.4 miles away.

A one-night stay on Sunday is priced at £160, while someone visiting on September 25 will pay just £57.

A spokeswoman for Travelodge said: “As one of London’s largest hoteliers, our teams across our 78 London-based Travelodge hotels are working around the clock and gearing up for a busy period in the lead-up to the Queen’s state funeral.

“Our Travelodge hotels in central London and Windsor are literally sold out, and demand is growing strong for our hotels situated near to a train or Tube station throughout Greater London.

“Our website is attracting visitors from all corners of the UK and across the globe.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in