World's most expensive hotels

Hotels in Moscow have been revealed as the world's most expensive for a fifth consecutive year...

Average room rates in the Russian capital were $A480 a night, down by $67 on 2008. However they were still more than $80 dearer than the second most expensive destination, Abu Dhabi.

According to the survey by the Hogg Robinson Group (HRG), an international corporate travel services company, average room rates (calculated in local currency) fell in most cities, as hoteliers sought to entice travellers during the financial downturn with cut-price deals.

However for British travellers the falling value of the pound during 2009 meant that the cost of hotels in many cities actually increased. Average room rates in Abu Dhabi were $58 more expensive, accommodation in Geneva in $11 dearer, and prices in Washington were $16 higher.

In New York, the third most expensive city on the list, rates fell by 23 per cent (from US$414.52 to US$318.98).

Average room rates in London fell by five per cent to $271, placing the capital in 29th position on the list.

"We have just been through deepest recession since the 1930s and the recovery remains at a relatively early stage," said Douglas McWilliams, chief executive of the Centre for Economics and Business Research Ltd.

"The latest HRG hotel survey vividly illustrates the effect of the downturn in demand on the hotel market. But it also shows signs of recovery across the globe, particularly in dynamic emerging economies."

The world's most expensive hotels ($A)

City                               2009 average room rate          2008

Moscow                         $483.90                                      $550.78

Abu Dhabi                      $405.47                                       $347

New York City                $368                                            $404

Paris                               $364                                           $364

Manama (Bahrain)          $343                                           $308

Milan                               $335                                           $352

Geneva                           $335                                           $323

Copenhagen                   $330                                           $315

Washington                    $324                                           $308

Athens                             $321                                          $312

Source: The Telegraph