Beijing’s hoteliers have been slashing the rates for their rooms in a bid to bring in more customers, according to Hotels.com, the world’s most-visited online accommodation website.

While the average price of a room in the city rose to £397 for those booking in April, the average price for the same room booked during July was just £144.

The dramatic fall in prices has come amid frenzied competition among hotels in Beijing. In recent months, the Ritz Carlton Beijing Downtown opened its doors and the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing - a stunning spa hotel - also opened for business.

However, the drop in room prices is reflecting a drop in demand. Data recently published on the website of the Beijing Tourism Administration showed just 299,000 overseas tourists visited the Chinese capital in June, compared to 385,000 in April. Municipal authorities say they expect between 400,000 and 450,000 foreign visitors in August 2008, compared to 420,000 in August 2007.

Alison Couper, Director of Communications for Hotels.com, comments: “This drop in average prices paid for rooms in Beijing means that it is a great time for last minute trips to China. People booking now can expect some real bargains on sites like ours as hoteliers compete to fill their rooms.”

Average prices paid by travelers for stays in Beijing in August, by the month in which the room was booked:

Booking month (2008) Average price paid per room per night (£)
March £235
April £397
May £145
June £125
July £144