Background. Boy1 is a freelance model maker. He’s currently working in Bristol on a short term contract. He’s been stopping in hotels or youth hostels for the last 6 weeks and coming home to Hereford on the weekends. Prices have been between £110 to £150 per week for Monday check in to Friday check out.
He’s just called and he’s struggling to book anything for the next two weeks, he’s very reluctant to book further ahead, the contract is week to week-ish. He can book for next week, but the prices have doubled, at minimum, to tripled in price.
Outside of the IT contracting world, wages are low, well not low, but only in the region of £500-600 per week. The hotel price rise isn’t something he can afford.
He’s stuck in a position where he can’t rent a room or shared house, 6 month minimum term, and now can’t afford the hotels.
Why have hotels jumped in price from last week? Or is this connected to the Ukraine fiasco? If so why? What am I missing?
Aren't hotels always cheaper in winter? March is probably considered start of spring season so higher prices? Are there some big events in Brizzle over the next couple of weeks?
Likely just the season starting or some bigger events over next few weeks.
Airbnb or caravan park rental?
Prices have been between £110 to £150 per week for Monday check in to Friday check out.
That seems very cheap for a hotel in Bristol. Think I paid a fair bit more than that for 3 nights last October.
[Edit] Just checked. Paid basically double that for 3 nights in November [/Edit]
March/April will be the start of new charging season or there may be a local event about to happen. Prices tend to increase after February as that's when bookings will pick up. Have a look at Spare Room website as that's what Sandwich Jr used when he was going on placement during his nurse training.
UK hotels are banking on this year being the same sort of feeding frenzy as last year.
Agreed. I think the reason is spring.
Prices have been between £110 to £150 per week for Monday check in to Friday check out.
I was supposed to be in Bristol this week - a couple of weeks ago I stopped short of booking the Doubletree Hilton at £120 b&b.
Last Friday booking for the meeting rescheduled to next week that price was £210. The cheapest I could find - even premier inn was £180 - was Hotel Du Vin Avon at £169 B&B.
I’ve just had a scout around various cities, everywhere seems to have hiked their prices.
Last summer he was working away from home, prices were stable all through the spring and summer at around £150 for Travelodge, etc.
He’s managed to book an AirB&B for the next few weeks. But they and spare room are very optimistically priced. I understand that people have to make a living, but up until this week they were all 2 or 3 times the price.
Just checked the Hotel Du Vin. Monday to Friday? £1004.
The person booking hotel du vin must have meant that as nightly rate. It's a luxury hotel.
There's some sort of festival of light on in Bristol at the moment which may partly explain price hikes.
Might be Cheltenham race festival.
I stayed in a Travelodge I think in Bristol on a main road out near one of the big boats. Wasn't mega money if I remember correctly but probably more expensive than the weekly rate desired.
Hotel du Vin - that will be for 4 nights at ave of £251/night; 4* and nice but not luxury.
It's spring.
Also, 2021 meant very low prices because of COVID.
Any help?
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/spring-rooms-ps32-or-less-at-travelodge-3900522
The person booking hotel du vin must have meant that as nightly rate.
Yes it’s one night only b&b. Now it’s £251? Ouch!
Yeah even Merthyr has gone nuts, we went to book next to BPW and it has jumped from usually £39 to £115... we ended up 11 miles away in another Premier Inn for £42.
Could always invest in a caravan and park it in St Werberghs or similar.
Yep, seasonal increase - also costs of everything are going up.
Airbnb have automatically increased the nightly cost on our Airbnb by £5 a night this year.
Best best is to contact an airbnb host and see if you can get a discount for a 2week stay - ours drops in price for 4nights or more. Just had someone book for three weeks and they saved about 1/3rd the cost (one week foc).
Have you had a look at spareroom.co.uk - a friend of mine rents a room through the site at similar prices to what your boy has been paying so it might be worth a look.
The Light Festival finished on Sunday.
Prices have been between £110 to £150 per week for Monday check in to Friday check out.
Was Bristol still in the early 90's over winter?
That's the kinda money I use to pay for cheap places when I stayed all over the UK as an Auditor - and they were cheap no automated receipt places to get around the 'only 1 drink' rule.
Also, 2021 meant very low prices because of COVID.
LOLs, last year if you had a hotel in a holiday spot it was a licence to print money. Prices rocketed up. Those Bristol prices in OP are higher than 2020 rates because people want to holiday there.
I used this company before I managed to get a proper house share when I moved to Bristol 7 years ao,
Second the spareroom.co.uk suggestion. I used it a few times when I was working away Monday to Friday.
Where abouts in Bristol is he working and what transport facilities does he have ?
I used to camp for work and claim the £10 per night cost on my expenses. In fact I'm the only person in an organisation of some 300k people who has ever claimed 'fire wood' as a business expense (got to heat the tent somehow in winter).
Is there a local campsite he could stay at? During the week where I stayed (Farnborough) there were always trades staying in vans or tents.
He’s tried Spare Room. Anything in budget, ie: not all of his wages, are 6 months contract. Doesn’t really work for freelance contracting.
He’s at THE famous animation studios in Bristol city centre. It’s public transport ATM. He’s started driving lessons, but that has been a nightmare to book due to Covid, full diaries, and only available weekends, because he’s working.
EDIT: The hotels aren’t on expenses, he’s having to fund his own accommodation. Last year he had a 6 month contract, he managed to get a room in a shared house at sensible money. But that’s not viable if you are bouncing around different companies on short term projects. He can’t afford to pay rent if he’s not working, and so far he’s worked in London, Bristol, Shepperton, Watford, Wimbledon. It’s a tough industry.
He needs a van up on the Downs.
Prices have been between £110 to £150 per week for Monday check in to Friday check out.
Was Bristol still in the early 90’s over winter?
I stopped travelling around the country for work a few months before Covid started, and £100 budget a night was more than ample for pretty much anywhere in the country, except London and Bristol. We had a higher budget for London but not Bristol, which meant that I rarely ever stayed there. I never really got to grips with why Brizzle was so expensive.
Aardman must work with a lot of freelancers, don't suppose he could ask anyone there in case they have their own list of options?
I stopped travelling around the country for work a few months before Covid started, and £100 budget a night was more than ample for pretty much anywhere in the country, except London and Bristol.
Newcastle in the late 90's was the same, lack of rooms.
And the OP said his lad was paying £110-150 PER WEEK (for 4 nights).
He’s done that. Either people live locally or are travelling daily.
He’s managed to get an AirB&B for the next two weeks. The women he’s booked with has agreed for him to see if it suits them both next week, if OK, she’s OK for him to block book until he finishes his contract. It’s a bit more than he has been paying but at least it looks stable.
The issue is that although he’s a contractor it’s normal wages for the industry. £500-600 per week is the going rate. You do this job for the love of it. Not to get rich. By the time he’s paid tax and NI, train fares and food he’s not making huge money. At least the hotels, etc. are tax deductible, he’s a sole trader, which is a bonus.
We have staff staying in hotels every week somewhere in the UK. We're seeing big rises in cost.
In 2019 we were £75 (£110 London), mid 2021 we upper to £100 a night, and we've staff reporting this week it's becoming tight in areas as far afield as Norwich, West Kirby and Aberdeen for bookings after Easter....
And the OP said his lad was paying £110-150 PER WEEK (for 4 nights).
I misread that! Yes, back to the 90s at least. 😀
