Prague hotels have already registered interest in accommodation for the duration of the World Hockey Championship, which will take place in the Czech capital from 10 to 26 May. From abroad, mainly Brits, Germans and Americans will come to cheer on their teams. According to operators contacted by the Czech News Agency (ČTK), demand will start to grow even more significantly in March or April. In addition to Prague, Ostrava will also host the World Cup.

 

At the time of the championship, Prague hotels of the Orea Hotel Chain are 85 percent occupied, said Jiří Fontana, director of business strategy. "The demand for accommodation is significantly higher than in the standard May," he added. Compared to the last World Cup in Prague in 2015, there will be more individual guests than organised tours this year, he said. "Bookings are coming from abroad and the nationality of the guests partly corresponds with the individual matches announced," Fontana said.

 

 

So far, 65 percent of the room bookings at the Mandarin Oriental have been made by foreign guests, with Czechs making up the remaining 35 percent. "For the period of this year's championship we are seeing a higher demand than for the 2015 championship. We expect occupancy to be very high," General Manager Duarte Correia said.

 

 

Hotel Emblem is currently registering a seven percent occupancy rate. "This is because we have raised prices a lot, generally for 2024 and especially for this period (the championships)," manager Helena Valtrová told the Czech News Agency. This year, the hotel has risen in price by 15 percent year-on-year, and then by another 15 percent during the championships, she added. "This is also due to the fact that it is May, which is usually a strong month for Prague and hotels," she said.

 

 

On the other hand, Palace Hotel manager Martin Kot'atko does not expect the championship to significantly increase occupancy. "Larger hotel chains will benefit from the accommodation of individual teams and their implementation teams. Fans will spread out all over Prague and the result will be no better than in other years," he thinks.

 

 

Hotels in Ostrava have also seen an increased demand for accommodation during the championships, despite the understandable increase in prices during the period.

GastroJobs.cz Editorial Team, source: ČTK, photos: Canva, Mandarin Oriental Prague, Hotel Emblem, Hotel Palace