Edinburgh hotels rank as UK’s most expensive for a New Year’s Eve stay

It’s fireworks for hospitality markets in the English and Scottish capitals this New Year’s Eve, as both cities will set revelers back more than £400 to stay the night in a hotel. 

At the opposite end of the scale, Yorkshire and the Midlands are the cheapest, with those choosing to spend the night in Sheffield spending 358% less than those booking a night in Edinburgh. 

There are also plenty looking outside of the major cities. Popular options for those looking to escape the bigger and more brash celebrations are Cornwall and Lake Windermere, with hotels in both posting strong pricing performance, especially when looking at slightly longer stays.

Hogmanay is in high demand with travelers once again

New Year’s Eve in Scotland holds special significance in Scotland, with its own term – Hogmanay – and a world-renowned festival taking place in Edinburgh city center. 

That prominence has pushed up pricing for accommodation in the city year after year. It takes the top spot as the most expensive destination in the country for a New Year’s Eve hotel room. 

There, the average room will set you back £481. That represents the highest prices advertised this year, sitting alongside the week when Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour was in town, when prices hit £448. 

This marks an excellent year for hoteliers in Edinburgh, who have been able to post prices above 2023 in every month of this year, led by 22% higher prices year-on-year in June during the Eras Tour. 

Should those looking for a Scottish opening to 2025 need something a lot more affordable, then perhaps Glasgow could be a great alternative? 

Just 45 miles east of its more celebrated counterpart, Glasgow also holds traditional Scottish celebrations, but a night there will cost just £148, or more than three times cheaper than its more celebrated counterpart. 

Or even less again, Aberdeen is the second most affordable destination in our UK destinations, where a hotel room will set you back an average of £112. 

Outside Edinburgh, the only other destination that comes close is London. 

London has one of the UK’s largest fireworks displays on NYE, with 100,000 official tickets for this event alone, alongside a huge range of other events and nightlife that attracts visitors from far and wide. 

This is driving prices up to £425 on December 31^st, which makes this week the highest pricing point for the year.

Head to the middle of the UK for the lowest New Year's Eve hotel prices

At the other end of the scale, Yorkshire and the Midlands are home to the cheapest locations for a night in a hotel. Sheffield hotels are on average £105 on NYE. 

Also within the top five cheapest locations are Leeds (£120), Birmingham (£122) and Nottingham (£124), which all occupy a similar price bracket. 

York bucks this trend, being the fourth most expensive location on the list, where a room will cost £204, but otherwise, it is central England where the lowest prices are to be found. 

Escapes outside the big cities also popular for New Year's Eve

Not everyone is looking for a big night out in a bustling city, as rural escapes and some smaller cities are also performing well, especially for multi-night stays. 

Windermere is the most prominent example, with the Lake District town costing visitors £317 to stay in during NYE, making it the third most expensive destination. 

More visitors appear to be staying on for additional nights in Windermere, as room rates hit £211 on 1^st January 2025, a 33% drop, compared to a 44% decline over those days in Edinburgh. 

Similarly, Cornwall is the seventh most expensive destination for NYE, but moves up to the fifth highest across December 31^st and January 1^st. Hotel rooms are being advertised for £196 for NYE and £143 for the day after, which is a 27% drop. 

This indicates that there is a different customer profile for quieter locations, comprising a multi-night stay to enjoy the local area, whereas major cities known for vibrant nightlife are seeing more of a one-night bump. 

For example, prices fall 55%, 54% and 47% in Liverpool, Brighton and Blackpool from 31^st to 1^st, but Oxford and Cambridge, which have limited late night options decline 22% and 16%.  

Using real-time demand and pricing data to capitalize on key dates in the calendar

The lesson for hoteliers is to know your guest profile and set prices to accurately meet market demand before your competitors. 

Lighthouse can give you all the data you need to take advantage of events and significant days in your calendar, ensuring you never miss out on a revenue opportunity.

We bring together demand data, competitor pricing, occupancy rates and much more all in one place. We can indicate emerging demand events months in advance and enable you to set optimal prices to capture this demand, so you can position your property for success 

To find the edge over your competitors, get in touch today.