Holidaymakers held to ransom as eclipse hotels demand 12 times the price
British tourists planning to witness next August's 'eclipse of the century' are being hit with outrageous demands for extra cash, as hotels in Egypt, Spain and Tunisia tear up bookings and re-sell rooms at up to twelve times the original rate.
Hubert Bartkowiak, from Gniezno in Poland, had booked three rooms for four people at the Luxor View Hotel in Egypt through Booking.com, paying $1,040 (£768) for three nights. That worked out at £64 per person, per night. But then came the message: 'Please note that prices have increased; for your booking during this period, the room will be $1,300 (£960) a night.'
With each of the three rooms costing £960 a night, he faced a bill of £8,640. When he refused to pay, the hotel worker implied the reservation would be cancelled and the hotel closed 'for renovations' if Hubert turned up.
'The hotel will be closed for renovations. You're free to leave. You won't have any rooms,' read the message seen by the Mirror. Only after the Mirror contacted Booking.com did the hotel decide to honour the booking at the original rate.
Why are hotels cancelling bookings for the 2026 eclipse?
On Monday, August 2 next year, the moon will block the sun starting in the Atlantic Ocean, crossing southern Spain and North Africa, and moving through the Middle East and the Horn of Africa before ending in the Indian Ocean. The event has been dubbed 'the eclipse of the century' due to the length of totality. Total darkness will descend for 6 minutes and 23 seconds in some areas, including Luxor. That is roughly three times the duration of this year's eclipse.
Following the eclipse this August and the buzz that's generated, accommodation prices for next year have rocketed. In El Palmar, a villa for six people located around 600 metres from the beach will cost €33,129 (£28,379) for one night. Split between the six potential guests, that would be around €5,522 (£4,730) per person.
What rights do holidaymakers have when hotels hike prices?
According to Citizens Advice, customers should check the terms and conditions for the holiday or booking they've made to see if they allow the company to increase the price. Look for something like 'price variation' - this means the price can change. They can't increase it if the terms and conditions don't allow it.
Even if the terms and conditions allow price increases, the company can only increase the price because of:
- fuel price rises which mean transport costs have gone up
- changes to taxes or fees by third parties - like tourist taxes
- exchange rates which affect the price of the holiday
The company has to let you know in writing about their plans to increase the price. They also have to give you a reasonable time to tell them if you accept it or want to cancel. If they're offering another package instead, they must tell you how much it costs.
The company must tell you about the price rise at least 20 days before the package starts and explain why they put the price up. You have the right to cancel the holiday without paying a fee if the increase is more than 8% - you'll get back any money you've already paid.
What happened to other eclipse travellers?
Another spurned holidaymaker is Kara Wiley. She booked a hotel in Luxor, paying $681 (£504) for three nights, only to receive a message from the owner demanding $3,900 (£2,886). 'This is not affordable for me, and my flights are already booked,' she wrote in a post on a Facebook group.
Facebook groups and Reddit threads are full of such horror stories, with many eclipse hunters now worried that they'll arrive ahead of the August 2 to discover they've nowhere to stay.
Such a scenario befell David Tunnicliffe, who booked a villa in Escalona del Prado, Spain, two years before the eclipse this August. 'It was just cancelled by the host one day before we were due to arrive for a week. Sucks to be me, I guess!' David said. David was blanked by the accommodation provider, and his emails bounced. Luckily, David managed to book back-up accommodation at the last minute. It cost twice as much, but the booking platform he used agreed to pay the extra expense.
'Raising prices I can understand as demand is high, but changing the price after making a reservation or cancelling it for a better offer is simply unfair,' Hubert said.
As the great eclipse approaches, one must wonder: is this any way to treat the visitor, upon whose custom so much of the local economy depends? The British traveller, long accustomed to fair dealing, now faces a new form of highway robbery, dressed up as market forces.