The cost of a night’s stay at a brand new ‘super budget’ hotel has risen sharply within less than a week of its opening.
The new 89-room easyHotel at the former Groove nightclub at Ipswich town centre opened on Friday, January 18, offering rooms from £14.99 a night.
Managers say they have a “no frills” approach with limited space and lack of comforts such as chairs, desks and tea and coffee facilities in the rooms.
Prices on its opening nights were closer to the bargain basement rate, with its managers making virtue of its “affordable comfort” approach.
A spokesman for easyHotel said its “approach is to offer best value for money to guests”, adding: “A stay in an easyHotel enables guests to keep as much of the hard-earned cash in their pockets as possible to spend on local attractions.”
But now prices appear to have risen dramatically, with a double room without a window - the cheapest room available - costing £57.99 on both Monday, January 29 and Tuesday, January 30.
‘Budget but almost brilliant’ – Our night in easyHotel
The lowest price on weekdays over the next couple of weeks is £32.99 on Friday, February 1, but it is quite common for the cheapest rooms to cost between £37.99 and £47.99 in that period.
The prices are similar over March, April and May.
Rooms with a window and those with two twin beds are even higher, and that is before the potentially added costs of use of a television and wi-fi.
The £14.99 rate is still available most Sundays and an easyHotel room is still cheaper than nearest rivals Premier Inn and Travelodge.
For example on Monday, January 29, the cheapest room at the Premier Inn Ipswich Quayside hotel is £78.50 and at Ipswich Travelodge it is £85, compared to £57.99 at easyHotel.
WATCH: See inside new Ipswich easyHotel
However the Premier Inn and Travelodge rooms have a window, offer much bigger space, free use of televisions and a kettle, chairs and a desk and greater storage.
Prices had already soared to £117.99 a night for the nights when Ed Sheeran is performing in Ipswich.
The easyHotel spokesman said: “Rooms in Ipswich currently start at £14.99 and periodically during sale times prices can be as low as £5 per night.
“Prices do fluctuate due to seasonal demand - and this is standard commercial practice across all hotels and airlines. Our commitment is to endeavour at all times to offer the best value on the market across all our 36 locations.”
easyHotel has invested £4million in the Grade II listed building in Northgate Street, which was originally set to open in 2017.
The building has a colourful past - it was used as a stationers shop, a toy shop and a car showroom before becoming a late-night venue.
As a nightclub it operated under several guises including Chicago Rock Cafe, Shout, Quilt and Mojo before its most recent regeneration as Groove.
The company has already agreed a 999-year lease on part of the ground floor of the Ipswich property for use as a coffee outlet.
The branding of the new coffee shop has not been disclosed.
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