Summer festivals, competitions and other events tend to raise hotel prices around Finland, sometimes significantly.
Some hotels near major events increase prices by up to 200 euros a night. Yle found the biggest dynamic price increase for hotel reservations in Jyväskylä, where the Finnish World Rally Championship will take place at the end of July and beginning of August.
Hotel prices were up by more than 100 euros a night at lodging establishments around Kotka, during the south-eastern seaside town's Maritime Festival, which regularly draws around 200,000 visitors. Similar price increases were seen in Pori for this week's Pori Jazz festival.
In other areas, hotel rooms cost between 20 and 70 euros more than usual during local events.
Yle compared hotels' non-discounted base prices across eight cities hosting major events over the next month — 19 July-16 August.
The prices found in the survey should be considered indicative, as dynamic pricing can cause several price changes over the course of a day.
Ups and downs of dynamic pricing
Dynamic pricing is based on computer algorithms and monitoring of customer demand. Such systems also factor in upcoming events as well as weather forecasts.
However, such a pricing model can make it difficult for people looking for a place to stay, according to Juha Beurling-Pomoell, the secretary general of the Consumers' Union.
"It's very difficult, because [consumers] are forced to check prices of different hotels and their services on several different websites nearly simultaneously and make quick decisions because of the changing prices," he explained.
On the other hand, dynamic pricing can also lead to good deals for consumers, particularly if they reserve early before demand drives up prices, Beurling-Pomoell explained.
The consumer union chief had a tip that could lead to more affordable hotel stays.
"Consumers should directly contact the hotels themselves and ask them directly what their cheapest room rate is," he said.
Tracking prices around summer events
Yle examined the prices of hotels run by S Group, Scandic and others. Prices were tallied on Monday morning, 14 July and compared to those collected earlier on 9 and 10 July. The comparisons focused on overnight stays occurring on the event dates as well as one week before or after that.
The events included the East-West Finnish baseball (pesäpallo) games in Kouvola, Pori Jazz (for weekday stays), the Kotka Maritime Festival, Turku's Down by the Laituri music festival, Jyväskylä's Rally Championship, the last weekend of the Savonlinna Opera Festival, the Dinosaurock music event in Mikkeli and Tampere's music festival Blockfest.
All of the hotels in the comparison had vacancies at the time of the comparison. In addition to demand, prices are also affected by whether lodgers pay up front as they book or during their stay, as well as whether the price includes breakfast.
The price survey examined the hotels' websites as well as the travel site booking.com.
