Room rates in Moscow, Lagos and Geneva highest in the world

(Relaxnews) – A survey published on August 13 shows that Moscow, Lagos and Geneva had the highest rates for hotel rooms during the first six months of 2012.

Contrary to what might be expected, hotel rates in popular tourist destinations such as Paris, New York and London are not the most expensive. Instead, according to a semi-annual survey from travel management company Hogg Robinson Group, the top five most expensive cities for hotel rates are Moscow, Lagos, Geneva, Zurich and Rio de Janeiro.

With an average room rate of £258.11 ($405.15), Moscow comes in first place for the eighth consecutive year in HRG’s list of the top 50 most expensive cities for hotels. Hotel prices in the Russian capital have risen by 3 percent over the past six months.

Due to the high volume of inbound oil-business travel to Nigeria, Lagos emerged as the second most expensive destination with an average room rate of £217.05 ($340.70). According to the survey, while hotel rates in Lagos have decreased by 5 percent over the past six months due to new openings, prices in the city remain high due to security issues since travelers prefer to stay in five-star hotels.

With an average room rate of £215.92 ($338.90), Geneva is the third most expensive city, followed by Zurich £211.09 ($331) and Rio £204.50 ($321).