Grand Mosque hotels hike rates for holy month

HIGH COSTS: A view of the Grand Mosque in Mecca could cost you up to $3,500 a night during Ramadan. (Getty Images)

The price of a double room in a hotel overlooking the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia during the month of Ramadan has rocketed to up to $3,500 per night.

That's the top price for a weekend rate while even on weekdays, visitors can expect to be charged more than $1,000.

In addition to the increase in prices, all hotels and furnished apartments in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque have been fully booked for the past two months.

“There is not a single vacant room nowadays,” hoteliers told Arab News on Monday.

They added that rooms for the last 10 days of Ramadan are being booked in package deals.

According to real estate brokers, the prices of hotel rooms and furnished apartments in Makkah have also rocketed, increasing by 60 percent when compared to the previous year.

Pilgrims are reported to be shocked at the high price of hotels and apartments and are now opting to live away from the Grand Mosque where the price of accommodation is cheaper.

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

READERS' COMMENTS

Supply and Demand!
Posted by Sinan on Sunday 7 September 2008 at 18:45 UAE time


Room rates have gone up everywhere! Why are you surprised, that in this Billion$ area it would be any less. It is all about supply and demand! As more citizens get richer, the prices of the best hotels are going to go up too, as there are only a limited amount of rooms available. It is the same with housing as the prices go up in the Right areas, people sell their homes for a profit and move inland.

Don't be surprised, if they start auctioning the rooms at a later date to the highest bidder!!

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Enter the words above *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM