Queen Elizabeth II’s Death Invokes Increased Demand for London Hotels
The demand for accommodation in London may see a surge as foreign tourists gather in the British capital to pay their respects to the longest-serving monarch of England, Queen Elizabeth II.
Thomas Emanuel, the senior director of STR, the data analytics provider of the hospitality industry, told MarketWatch, “The eyes of the world are going to be on London for the next 10 days. There will be an influx of media, an influx of dignitaries, and an influx of people that just want to be there.”
Though STR cannot predict the future, Emanuel still expects to see a massive rise in the demand for accommodation in London during the national mourning period of 10-days in the UK.
“Operation London Bridge”, a plan reportedly shaped decades ago, lays out the events of the mourning period. This plan includes the lying-in-state of the late monarch at Parliament’s Westminster Hall and a funeral at Westminster Abbey open to everyone in the state.
The last state funeral was held in 1965 for Winston Churchill, a former Prime Minister of the UK. According to History.com, over 300,000 mourners gathered around Churchill’s casket at Westminster Hall and a million people assembled along the route of his funeral cortège.
As people from different countries are expected to accumulate in the capital, a set of guidance was issued by the U.K. Government’s Cabinet Office for visitors on Friday.
“We recognise that many people will travel to Buckingham Palace and other Royal Residences as a mark of their respect,” as stated in the guideline. “We expect large crowds, which can pose risks to public safety.”
“As you would expect, a number of organisations will now be making practical preparations including contingency planning for the State Funeral and related events,” further added the Cabinet Office. “Further details will be made available shortly.”
Users have also noted the rising prices for some London hotels and have voiced their displeasure on social media.
“Was looking to book a Marriott hotel in London yesterday before the death of our Queen for this coming Sunday GBP116 now GBP260,” the user @Martinp12411552 tweeted.
“Hotels in Belgravia and Mayfair, #London are taking the biscuit,” tweeted another user @XH487. “They have block-locked bookings for the funeral of HM the Queen to sell at triple plus rates!”
“This should be marked as treason!”