UEFA warns of hotel rip offs in Ukraine

Friday, March 9, 2012

The Daily Telegraph reports that UEFA has warned Ukrainian authorities that some hotel prices in Ukraine are threatening to put off many foreign football fans from travelling to the country for Euro 2012. 

As we have reported on More Than a Game previously, a number of hotels in Ukraine are charging exorbitant prices for stays during Euro 2012, and this is having a detrimental effect on the number of fans planning to travel to the football tournament.

While there are many hotel, camp site and hostel owners charging fair and normal prices in Ukraine, some unscrupulous hotel chains and individual hotels are attempting to sell rooms at prices sometimes ten times their normal rate.

The Daily Telegraph quotes an example of the IBIS hotel in Kiev which is reportedly charging £550 on the night of the England v Sweden match instead of the standard £49 rate.

The English FA has confirmed that is has been unable to sell its allocation of tickets to its members for England's group matches; the first time this has happened for a European championships since the England members club was formed. Many are putting this down to the stories of extortionate prices in Ukraine.

More Than a Game was contacted recently by R H van der Lubben from the Dutch-managed 'Oranjecamp 2012'. He told us that the company currently still has over 10,000 spaces, at normal prices, at its sites in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kiev. For more information: www.oranjecamp2012.nl  

As we advised last month, anybody planning to travel to Ukraine should shop around and be patient as there are plenty of accommodation options available at competitive prices