Using hotel reservation data, the specialized search engine Hoteloogle.com compiled a list of the most in-demand destinations on December 31, 2014. Amsterdam is on top with an occupancy rate of 96%, meaning that virtually all of the Dutch capital's hotels were booked to capacity on the festive evening. Berlin and Vienna also emerged as some of the most popular places to ring in the New Year. On the final evening of 2014, these cities' hotels were 93% and 91% full, respectively. Other destinations where hotels enjoyed a prosperous start to 2015 include Paris and Sydney (89%), Tokyo (88%) and Rome (85%). Despite hosting an impressive crowd on December 31 for the famous Times Square countdown, New York saw a somewhat unspectacular hotel occupancy rate of 71% on the night in question.
Some travelers looking for a luxurious yet affordable New Year's getaway in the comfort of a five-star hotel may have found a bargain in Shanghai. Hoteloogle.com found that the destination boasted the cheapest room on the holiday evening, at just $27 for the night. Other deals were available in Istanbul, for example, where New Year's revelers paid just $63 per night at a luxury hotel. Madrid, Rome and even London offered attractive prices for five-star hotel rooms, while Tokyo emerged as one of the most expensive destinations: the Japanese capital's most affordable luxury hotel room on December 31 was priced at $446.
INC News, 03/01/2015 - Via Euronews
