There is definitely very little room at the inn this Christmas, with Hong Kong hotel-occupancy rates reaching 98 per cent, prompting room prices to jump a massive 80 per cent. Rooms at the luxury Peninsula are going for more than HK$16,000 a night, and even backpacker favourite Chungking Mansions is said to be charging nearly HK$3,000. The Travel Industry Council, representing the city's travel agents, reports strong sales for inbound and outbound businesses this festive season. Agents' bookings were up by more than a quarter in the first two weeks of this month compared to the same period last year, executive director Joseph Tung Yao-chung said. At The Peninsula, a traveller booking online yesterday was being asked to pay HK$8,200 to HK$16,200 for a double room next Friday. On Christmas night, the rates were from HK$4,900 to HK$19,200. No rooms were available on Christmas Eve. The reception desk at the Four Seasons Hotel said the hotel was full from next Friday until Boxing Day. The cheapest room for two on Thursday would cost HK$5,000. The Intercontinental was also expecting stronger bookings this Christmas, a spokeswoman said. Hostel rooms are not much cheaper. At Chungking Mansions, some rooms were reportedly costing nearly HK$3,000. The Australian Guest House in the building said the rate for a double room on Christmas Eve would be HK$1,400. Michael Wu Siu-ieng, the council's chairman, said the hotel-occupancy rate was 93 per cent last month. He expected the rate to rise to 98 per cent this month. Tung said it was much harder for travel agents to find rooms this year. 'There were still rooms for under HK$1,000 last year. But this year, it's impossible to find such rooms.' He said the industry was satisfied with this year's business, despite the floods in Thailand. The council's levy income, which reflects agents' income from tours, had increased by 27 per cent in the first two weeks of this month compared to last year. He said the HK$6,000 government handout had increased public desire to travel during the Christmas season. 36m The number of visitors Hong Kong received last year, a record. About 20 million of them stayed overnight
