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So High...It's U2 Price Elevation
Concerts push up costs as hotels join the rush to cash in on biggest musical gigs of the year
By Martha Kearns
15 February 2005
Couples making a weekend of it for the U2 concert may not see much change from €1,000 as prices across Dublin soar for the musical event of the year.
Exorbitant ticket tout prices are now the least of the fans' worries as hotels, restaurants and other businesses cash in on the June 24 and 25 concerts.
Many hotels contacted yesterday admitted prices for the rooms could be €100 a night dearer for the weekend and cited the U2 concert as the reason.
And that's if you can even get somewhere to stay, with some fully booked hotels actually laughing when reservations were sought 15 weeks in advance. As well as the ticket prices and accommodation, you can pile on the price of trains tickets, taxis, food and drink not to mention souvenirs from the concert including official (and unofficial) t-shirts and programmes.
Official ticket prices ranged from €59.50 to €80 - or up to €500 on the black market - adding up to €180 for a couple, plus around €30 to €40 each for train tickets to Dublin.
Iarnrod Eireann could not confirm how much prices for trains to Dublin would be the weekend of the gigs, saying only that some special trains may be laid on. Advanced sales are expected to be required because of the limited number of places that will be available.
Combine the gig and train tickets with the fact that you will now be lucky to get a hotel room for under €250 a night; and if you stay the two nights, that's more than €700 blown already - before you even eat or have a pint.
A random selection of hotels contacted by the Irish Independent showed many were booked out, including all the city's Jurys Inns - which haven't hiked up prices, they are staying at the flat rate of €140, or €162 with breakfast.
Others, however, were taking full advantage of the concert, with the McEniff Skylon on Upper Drumcondra Road - popular for those attending matches in Croke Park - €100 dearer than normal. Double rooms there were still available at €229 per room per night with the same room costing €129 the following weekend of the July 1 and 2.
The Berkeley Court Hotel beside Lansdowne Road had only executive rooms left for that weekend at €425, which did not include a 15pc service charge, taxes or breakfast. The total price for the two nights was €963 - without breakfast.
The following weekend, you could get a standard room for €215 per night or an executive for €260, including breakfast and service charges. So staying in the executive room for the Friday and Saturday night of the concert will cost you €443 more than the following weekend - and it's without the breakfast.
The Regency Hotel close to Croke Park was yesterday offering double rooms for €250 per night plus breakfast but €150 for the following weekend.
The Royal Dublin Hotel on O'Connell Street was fully booked and recommended trying anywhere outside the city or Croke Park area. It was charging €250 bed and breakfast per room per night on the weekend of the concerts, dropping to €190 for the following weekend.
The Burlington Hotel on Upper Leeson Street only had executive rooms available at €199 per double room or €169 for a twin room. The following weekend, you could get a room for €169 with breakfast or an executive room for €172.
Some hotels had not put up the prices, but were all fully booked - including Cassidy's Hotel at Upper O'Connell Street, which is charging €160 per room per night.
Restaurants, which are also expected to put up their prices, said concert-goers would need to book about a month in advance to get a table that weekend.
John Power, chief executive of the Irish Hotels' Federation, said a number of hotels had not put up their prices and were booked out.
"There is no collusion or price fixing. It is always the case in any city that when there is major sporting event, concert or fair that supply and demand kicks in. It's a free market. But that is balanced out by the fact there are lower prices at other times of the year."
--Irish Independent
Concerts push up costs as hotels join the rush to cash in on biggest musical gigs of the year
By Martha Kearns
15 February 2005
Couples making a weekend of it for the U2 concert may not see much change from €1,000 as prices across Dublin soar for the musical event of the year.
Exorbitant ticket tout prices are now the least of the fans' worries as hotels, restaurants and other businesses cash in on the June 24 and 25 concerts.
Many hotels contacted yesterday admitted prices for the rooms could be €100 a night dearer for the weekend and cited the U2 concert as the reason.
And that's if you can even get somewhere to stay, with some fully booked hotels actually laughing when reservations were sought 15 weeks in advance. As well as the ticket prices and accommodation, you can pile on the price of trains tickets, taxis, food and drink not to mention souvenirs from the concert including official (and unofficial) t-shirts and programmes.
Official ticket prices ranged from €59.50 to €80 - or up to €500 on the black market - adding up to €180 for a couple, plus around €30 to €40 each for train tickets to Dublin.
Iarnrod Eireann could not confirm how much prices for trains to Dublin would be the weekend of the gigs, saying only that some special trains may be laid on. Advanced sales are expected to be required because of the limited number of places that will be available.
Combine the gig and train tickets with the fact that you will now be lucky to get a hotel room for under €250 a night; and if you stay the two nights, that's more than €700 blown already - before you even eat or have a pint.
A random selection of hotels contacted by the Irish Independent showed many were booked out, including all the city's Jurys Inns - which haven't hiked up prices, they are staying at the flat rate of €140, or €162 with breakfast.
Others, however, were taking full advantage of the concert, with the McEniff Skylon on Upper Drumcondra Road - popular for those attending matches in Croke Park - €100 dearer than normal. Double rooms there were still available at €229 per room per night with the same room costing €129 the following weekend of the July 1 and 2.
The Berkeley Court Hotel beside Lansdowne Road had only executive rooms left for that weekend at €425, which did not include a 15pc service charge, taxes or breakfast. The total price for the two nights was €963 - without breakfast.
The following weekend, you could get a standard room for €215 per night or an executive for €260, including breakfast and service charges. So staying in the executive room for the Friday and Saturday night of the concert will cost you €443 more than the following weekend - and it's without the breakfast.
The Regency Hotel close to Croke Park was yesterday offering double rooms for €250 per night plus breakfast but €150 for the following weekend.
The Royal Dublin Hotel on O'Connell Street was fully booked and recommended trying anywhere outside the city or Croke Park area. It was charging €250 bed and breakfast per room per night on the weekend of the concerts, dropping to €190 for the following weekend.
The Burlington Hotel on Upper Leeson Street only had executive rooms available at €199 per double room or €169 for a twin room. The following weekend, you could get a room for €169 with breakfast or an executive room for €172.
Some hotels had not put up the prices, but were all fully booked - including Cassidy's Hotel at Upper O'Connell Street, which is charging €160 per room per night.
Restaurants, which are also expected to put up their prices, said concert-goers would need to book about a month in advance to get a table that weekend.
John Power, chief executive of the Irish Hotels' Federation, said a number of hotels had not put up their prices and were booked out.
"There is no collusion or price fixing. It is always the case in any city that when there is major sporting event, concert or fair that supply and demand kicks in. It's a free market. But that is balanced out by the fact there are lower prices at other times of the year."
--Irish Independent
