LONDON – Chelsea fans who are planning to follow their team to the UEFA Champions League final on May 19 might be in for a shock when looking for a hotel room. With the title game date less than three weeks away, accommodations in the host city of Munich are becoming rather pricey.
To spend the night in the Bavarian capital the day Chelsea goes head to head against Bayern, fans will have to spend close to Euro 500 (GBP 407) for the cheapest available room. That’s the finding of a recent survey conducted by CheapHotels.org, which compared rates across the various hotel-booking sites.
While the vast majority of hotels are sold out on the day of the Champions League final, about a dozen hotels, mainly in the outside districts of Munich, are still listing vacancies. However, because demand far exceeds supply, they’re implementing exorbitant rate hikes.
One case in point is the NH Munchen am Ring. This 3-star accommodation is situated 4 km from Munich’s city centre. Rooms at this establishment regularly go for Euro 84, but come the day of the CL final, they’ll soar to Euro 824. That figure equates to an 880% increase.
The NH Munchen am Ring is not the biggest price gouger, though. That honour goes to the Eurostars Grand Central, a 4-star hotel near Munich Central Station. Normally posting room rates of Euro 111, this accommodation is charging Euro 1523 the night of May 19, or a staggering 1272% more than usual.
Alas, staying anywhere in Munich won’t come cheaply. Indeed, the lowest-priced double room currently available is priced at Euro 499, with single rooms a bit cheaper. There is an affordable workaround for bargain hunters, however. If they are willing to stay in the neighbouring city of Augsburg, which is connected to Munich by direct train, they can secure a double room for around Euro 100 per night and arrive at the final in under an hour. They don’t have to worry about getting stranded if the game runs late either. Trains run until 3:00 in the morning.