Geneva…Leader of the 'Club'

LONDON, May 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Geneva revealed to be the most expensive city for a Club Sandwich for the second year running. 

Geneva has retained the top spot as the most expensive city in the world in which to order a Club Sandwich, at an average of £19.46, according to research released today by Hotels.com. Using the classic hotel staple of a chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich as a barometer of affordability, the Hotels.com Club Sandwich Index (CSI) offers holidaymakers an indication of the costs associated with their destination of choice.

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The CSI average price is calculated from the real prices paid by guests for a Club Sandwich in 30 hotels in either the capital or an important tourist city in the 28 countries surveyed, across five, four and three star categories.  In total, 840 hotels globally were canvassed.

Now in its third year, the Index reflects not only changes in the actual price of a Club Sandwich across the globe but also the effect of currency fluctuations.  Travellers will be pleased to note that generally prices are falling: the Geneva average of £19.46, although higher than any other destination, was lower than the previous year's average (£19.96).

In the Swiss city, prices for the Club ranged from £25.82 in one five-star hotel to £9.17 in a three-star establishment.  Gastronomic hub, Paris, held on to the number two spot with a new average of £17.53, followed by Helsinki which knocked Oslo out of the top three with £14.54 following an increase on the 2013 average cost in the Finnish capital.

India's New Delhi remained the cheapest destination for a Club Sandwich, with an average of just £5.24, although several other holiday favourites also appeared under the £10 threshold, including Madrid (£9.51), Rio de Janeiro (£8.74) and Bangkok (£7.15). Meanwhile, Sydney experienced the greatest decrease in its Club Sandwich price, falling from £13.46 in 2013 to £10.11 in 2014.

Alison Couper of the Hotels.com brand said: "The Club Sandwich Index offers travellers a simple price comparison to show how far their money may stretch in each country, using the most common item on any hotel menu. The majority of countries continued to display a decline in the price of a Club Sandwich, which is great news for travellers who will get more for their money abroad. The next time you're tucking into a Club in Geneva, remember you could have three more for your money in New Delhi!"

The Hotels.com Club Sandwich Index 

                                                                                Average
                                                                                  2013
                                                                                  Club
      2014                                                               2013   Sandwich
     ranking       Country / City      Average 2014 Club Sandwich Price ranking  Price
        1     Switzerland - Geneva                 GBP19.46                1    GBP19.96
        2     France - Paris                       GBP17.53                2    GBP17.99
        3     Finland - Helsinki                   GBP14.54               11    GBP12.94
        4     Sweden - Stockholm                   GBP14.36                4    GBP15.15
        5     Norway - Oslo                        GBP14.21                3    GBP17.51
        6     UK - London                          GBP13.53                8    GBP13.53
        7     Japan - Tokyo                        GBP13.20                7    GBP13.57
        8     Hong Kong                            GBP12.69               10    GBP12.98
        9     Italy - Rome                         GBP12.68                6    GBP14.59
       10     Denmark - Copenhagen                 GBP12.51                5    GBP14.64
       11     South Korea - Seoul                  GBP12.08               12    GBP12.16
       12     Netherlands - Amsterdam              GBP10.84               15    GBP10.92
       13     USA - New York                       GBP10.74               13    GBP11.48
       14     Germany - Berlin                     GBP10.29               16    GBP10.44
       15     Australia - Sydney                   GBP10.11                9    GBP13.46
       16     Ireland - Dublin                     GBP9.65                19    GBP9.87
       17     Spain - Madrid                       GBP9.51                20    GBP9.68
       18     Singapore                            GBP9.17                17    GBP10.11
       19     Russia - Moscow                      GBP9.14                14    GBP11.06
       20     Brazil - Rio de Janeiro              GBP8.74                21    GBP9.44
       21     Canada - Toronto                     GBP8.39                18    GBP10.00
       =22    China - Beijing                      GBP8.09                22    GBP8.27
       =22    Colombia - Bogota                    GBP8.09                25    GBP7.48
       24     Taiwan - Taipei                      GBP7.41                26    GBP7.45
       25     Thailand - Bangkok                   GBP7.15                24    GBP7.74
       26     Argentina - Buenos Aires             GBP6.19                22    GBP7.79
       27     Mexico - Mexico City                 GBP5.84                27    GBP6.91
       28     India - New Delhi                    GBP5.24                28    GBP5.97

About Hotels.com 

Hotels.com is a leading accommodation booking website with more than 290,000 properties globally. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry, negotiating the best rates for its customers, and offers frequent sales, special deals and promotions. There are more than 10 million reviews on the site from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers can make an informed choice when booking.

SOURCE Hotels.com