London Olympics ... when will hotels learn?

Much like the Melbourne hotels during the Commonwealth Games in 2006, it seems the London hotels are struggling in the lead-up to the Olympics. Thinking they'd make a killing during this major event, hotels in London were trying to charge the earth for their rooms but for the last month or so panic has set in as they realise no one wants to (or can afford to) pay the ridiculous prices that they were trying to charge.

I for one hope the Brisbane hotels learn from this lesson in the lead-up to the G20 Summit in 2014 ...

London's hotels and restaurants empty ahead of Olympics 
Five-star London hotels are discounting their room rates by nearly half and top restaurants are easy to book. Even house rentals are disappointing

It's one of central London's top five-star hotels, regularly voted among the best on Trip Advisor. Yet this week it will discount its standard rate from £350 a night down to £200 amid a collapse in bookings ahead of the start of the Olympics.

"We don't normally discount below £250," said the manager, on the understanding that neither he nor the hotel would be named. "But although the hotel is fully booked for the duration of the Olympics, it's exceptionally quiet this week."

International visitors and domestic travellers avoiding London because of the Olympics have left hotels, restaurants and theatres unusually empty in the last few days before the start of the Games. "Even The Ivy has told us it has tables free. Usually it's us ringing them trying to find a table," the hotel manager said.
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