If your Saturday plans include logging on to Ticketmaster in hopes of snatching a ticket to Ed Sheeran's Irish tour next year, you might want to ensure you've got your accommodations set up for the gig as well. Galway hotels are reportedly 93% booked up for those dates already, with Cork hotels 83% booked and availability in only less than half of Belfast hotels.
Even if you manage to get a room, they don't come cheap. In Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Galway, hotel prices for those dates have surged, with some rising by as much as 300 euro. Dublin's Academy Plaza Hotel by O'Connell Street has hiked up the price of a room from €127 to €424 during May 16 to 18, when Sheeran is scheduled to play Phoenix Park. That's the most extreme case, but it doesn't get much better elsewhere, with even a room the Rochestown Park hotel, on the outskirts of Cork priced at €275 instead of its usual €123. In Galway, the setting for Sheeran's new "Galway Girl" video, the four-star Meyrick Hotel on Eyre Square jumped from the original room price of €169 to €319. In Belfast, the luxury Fitzwilliam Hotel will cost €203 a night, while prices at the Clayton Hotel jumped from €118 to €287.
After receiving backlash for the hiked prices, the Irish Hotels Federation responded with a statement, saying, “Typically, well over 80% of room bookings for large events and busy weekends are booked well in advance and represent good value. It is generally the final 10% of room stock that would experience noticeable movement towards the registered public rates – which is the rate displayed in bedrooms and in Fáilte Ireland guides.”
“Irish hotel room rates are highly competitive compared to other European city destinations. As always, the Irish Hotels Federation recommends that people book early to get the best value room rates and do not rely on just one source when comparing accommodation prices. It is also advisable for people to check hotels’ own websites, where prices are often better and promotional rates may be available."
Tickets for Sheeran's Irish tour go on sale this Saturday at 9am. To prevent ticket-touting, you will only be able to buy four tickets. Those attending will have to bring not only their ticket, but their booking confirmation, credit card, and valid ID.