Overpriced Ukrainian hotel rooms sparks Euro 2012 concerns for UEFA

By David Gold

March 13 – UEFA has expressed its concern over the cost of hotels in Ukraine, the co-host with Poland for this summer’s European Championships.

The cheapest room available in Donetsk on June 11, the date of England’s clash with France in their opening Euro 2012 game, is 6,000 Ukraine Hryvnia (£478/$748/€569).

The one starred Agat Hotel in Donetsk is currently charging double that for the same date.

By way of comparison, the cheapest hotel available in the Polish city of Gdansk, which will host world and European champions Spain and Italy on June 10, can be purchased for 135 UAH (£11/$17/€13).

“There are issues around the high cost of hotels in Ukraine in particular,” UEFA’s events chief executive David Taylor told reporters in Warsaw.

“That is causing us some concern.

“Of course UEFA cannot fix that ourselves.

“We don’t manage hotels.

“But we do think it’s not a very good image to present of trying to charge as much as possible.

“We speak to the authorities, we speak to hotels, we try to ensure that they understand the importance of trying to set prices at a reasonable level so that, in future years, people who come to Ukraine can enjoy it and come back, not be scared off by high prices.”

Though UEFA cannot enforce change itself, it is lobbying to ensure hotels are affordable for the average spectator during Euro 2012

Ukraine’s deputy Prime Minister Borys Kolesnikov (pictured holding a Euro 2012 commemorative coin) has also pledged to tackle the issue, implying that the Government would do what it could to pressure hotels.

Euro 2012 gets underway on June 8 in Warsaw, and finishes on July 1 in Kiev.

Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1735875926labto1735875926ofdlr1735875926owedi1735875926sni@d1735875926log.d1735875926ivad1735875926