Hotels in the Middle East have seen a dramatic fall in rates, according to research from travel management company HRG.
Hotel rates in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman recorded double digit falls in the first six months of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009.
Elsewhere, the hotel market showed signs of recovery, according to the HRG's Six Month Hotel Survey, with research conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research.
Hotel rates in Abu Dhabi fell by 26% in the first half of 2009, a major turnaround from the 38% growth recorded in the first half of 2009.
The city fell from being the second most expensive destination in the world to eighth place.
Moscow maintained its position at the top of the table as ths most expensive destination for hotels in the world, but the average room rate fell by 12%.
Geneva and Hong Kong held second and third place, respectively. In the 2009 ranking, Geneva held sixth place and Hong Kong held 10th place.
Many European cities saw a growth in average rates, according to the study, while the US rates were flat or marginally up.
According to Margaret Bowler, director of global hotel relations at HRG, the majority of cities surveyed showed an improvement.
"It is good to see the positive effect of certain sectors travelling more regularly, however it is clear that the rate of recovery is mixed and varies according to region, country and specific markets," she said.
The average length of stay has increased by 9%, said Bowler, and coporates have begun to relax their travel policies.
"However, our data shows that is is not consistent around the world and it is still to early to predict how the rest of 2010 will pan out," she warned.
The research was based on actual room nights booked and rates paid by HRG's UK clients during January to June 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.
www.hrgworldwide.com