he price difference between hotels belonging to the same chain in the two cities is so high that Israelis could spend a week-long vacation in the German capital – including a flight and a hotel room – and pay much less than for a Tel Aviv hotel alone.
Israelis thinking of travelling to Berlin this summer in order to check the prices of pudding, for example, should know that the trip could easily turn out to be cheaper than a vacation in Tel Aviv. Much cheaper, in fact.
A Yedioth Ahronoth inquiry reveals a significant price gap between a hotel in the Israeli metropolis and a hotel belonging to the exact same chain in the German capital, so that even if you add the price of a flight to Berlin – the vacation abroad will still cost you less.
There are two reasons for the major price gap: Tel Aviv is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world, its hotels have high occupancy rates and the prices rise accordingly. Berlin, on the other hand, is considered cheaper than many cities in Europe. Moreover, due to the high supply of hotels and the construction of new ones, the occupancy rates there are low and so are the prices.
We checked the room prices at the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv City Center versus the new Crowne Plaza Berlin – Potsdamer Platz. We also checked ticket prices among the three leading airlines offering flights from Tel Aviv to Berlin (El Al’s low-cost company UP, Air Berlin and easyJet).
The prices were checked for several dates in July and August on a room-only basis. In the Tel Aviv price we also included the local VAT (which is not paid by tourists who visit Israel).
The results revealed that an Israeli wishing to fly to Berlin next week or during August will pay for both the flight and the hotel less than the price he will be required to pay for the hotel alone in Tel Aviv. The gap sometimes reaches more than $400, a sum which will allow you to take another passenger along.
For the UP and easyJet flights we only considered the price of the ticket without luggage and without an allocated seat and food.
We also checked hotel prices in Rome and London. In the Italian capital we discovered that the Crowne Plaza St. Peter’s is cheaper than the Crowne Plaza in Tel Aviv, sometimes by hundreds of dollars. In London, on the other hand, the prices at Crowne Plaza – The City and Crowne Plaza – Kensington remain significantly higher than the Crowne Plaza in Tel Aviv.
Five nights at the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv City Center from July 28 to August 2 were offered for $1,096 (room only). During the same dates, the price for a room at the Crowne Plaza Berlin is only $536. A week at the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv City Center on August 11-18 or August 18-25 was offered for $1,440. At the exact same dates, the price for a room at the Crowne Plaza Berlin is only $599.
We also checked room prices at the Sheraton Tel Aviv versus the Sheraton Berlin. Here too, we found huge price differences: $1,632-2,448 for the Tel Aviv hotel compared to $646 for the Berlin hotel.
As for the flights, the cheapest ticket from Tel Aviv to Berlin on July 28 through August 2 cost $434, and the most expensive ticket cost $675. On the other dates, the cheapest flight was $434 and the most expensive flight was $633.
If you fly to Berlin on a cheap flight on August 11 (returning August 18) and stay at the Crowne Plaza in Berlin for seven nights, you will pay $1,033 – compared to $1,440 for the hotel alone in Tel Aviv. Adding $434 will allow you to take along another passenger, so that the whole package to Berlin will cost two people $1,467.
It should be noted that Berlin has another Crowne Plaza hotel near the Kurfürstendamm shopping street, which is slightly more expensive. But Tel Aviv also has another Crowne Plaza hotel on the beach, which is also more expensive.
As reported by Ynetnews