The cost of living in the Ukrainian host cities of Euro 2012

Recommendation points

• Lviv
• Kharkiv
• Donetsk
• Kiev

Very little time remains until the moment when Ukraine for the first time in history will host such a large-scale event as the European Football Championship. Of course, the country will share this honor with its “neighbor” – Poland, but this does not diminish the significance of the event and the level of its impact on the economy of the cities that will become the hosts of Euro 2012.

The clock installed on Khreshchatyk is already counting down the days, hours and even minutes remaining until the opening, which will take place on June 8, and UEFA representatives managed to inspect the cities where the matches will be held several times and were generally satisfied with the level of preparation.

The only questions that cause concern not only among the leaders of the football organization, but also among the fans are the cost of living in Ukrainian hotels and the condition of roads in Poland..

Not so long ago, Martin Kallen, UEFA’s Chief Operating Officer, addressed the governments of Poland and Ukraine with two complaints: the Poles were charged with the imperfect condition of the roads between the host cities of the championship (Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw and Poznan), as well as insufficiently thought out organization of transport links with Ukrainian cities , but Ukraine surprised the UEFA leadership with unusually high prices for hotel accommodation.

Unfortunately, as representatives of the European football association themselves complain, UEFA cannot control and set prices for hotel accommodation in host countries, but the situation in Ukraine worried the leadership so much that negotiations are already underway with the owners of hotels in Kiev, Kharkov, Donetsk and Lviv on the reduction of room rates.

Let’s try to figure out how much it will cost fans an overnight stay in the host cities of Euro 2012 and whether it is possible to find available offers.

Lviv

This Ukrainian city will host three matches:

• Germany – Portugal, which will take place on June 9, the day after the grand opening of the tournament in Warsaw;
• Denmark – Portugal – will take place on June 13;
• Denmark – Germany – scheduled for 17 June.

UEFA experts noted that in Lviv the situation with places for fans’ accommodation is better than in other cities of the republic – and the offers are wider here and prices are significantly lower.

The cheapest places to spend the night are campgrounds. For example, in a tent camp located 25 kilometers from the stadium “with all the conveniences” one place costs 250 hryvnia (only about 25 euros). But for a place in a tent in a campsite located within the city, you will have to pay 770 hryvnia (about 77 euros).

Another inexpensive Lviv accommodation option is a hostel, the cost of one “bed” in such a “hotel for poor tourists” will cost from 300 to 1500 hryvnia per day (from 30 to 150 euros).

Good apartments and more or less decent rooms in hotels with at least two stars during Euro 2012 in Lviv will cost from 3700 to 6000 thousand hryvnia per night (from 370 to 600 euros).

Kharkiv

Kharkiv will also host only three matches of the European Football Championship:

• Netherlands – Denmark – scheduled for the second day of the championship – June 9;
• Netherlands – Germany – will take place on June 13;
• Portugal – Netherlands – will take place on June 17.

The cheapest offer that the UEFA representatives could find in this city is a two-person tent in a country camp located 17 kilometers from the stadium. The price of such an overnight stay is 700 hryvnia or 70 euros.

Another relatively inexpensive option is housing in the region, 40 or even 80 kilometers from Kharkov. This is already a private offer or small hotels, prices in this sector vary from 800 to 2000 hryvnia (80-200 euros) per day.

The most expensive apartment, which has already been offered to the attention of fans who will visit Kharkiv during the championship, costs 13 thousand hryvnia per night, and it is designed for only 4 people. There are also several options for renting apartments in the city center at a price of 10-12 thousand hryvnia per day (1-1.2 thousand euros).

However, the delegation from Holland managed to come to an agreement with the city authorities and for the fans from the Netherlands (we will remind that two matches of this team will take place in Kharkov) a separate orange-camping on Zhuravlevka, designed for 5-8 thousand people, was arranged. The cost of living here will cost fans 20 euros per day, which, in comparison with other offers, is quite an acceptable option..

According to UEFA representatives, on average in Kharkov during the championship, hotel owners raised prices by 10, and often 30 times. A striking example is a room in the Downtown Apartments hotel, which can now be rented for 400 hryvnia (about 40 euros), during Euro 2012 it is rented for 12,600 hryvnias (1,260 euros) per day.

Donetsk

Donetsk with its famous and long-standing Donbass Arena will host five matches of Euro 2012:

• France – England – on June 11;
• Ukraine – France – will be held on June 15;
• England – Ukraine – scheduled for June 19;
• one of the quarterfinals will be held on June 23;
• and the semi-final – will take place on June 27.

As you can see, Donetsk hotels got more chances to earn money from the fans and, of course, did not fail to take advantage of this. The representatives of UEFA were amazed by such an ordinary, small hotel “Agat” (located 10 minutes walk from the stadium), which already offers to stay in a double room on June 27 (on the day of the semifinals and the last for Donetsk Euro 2012 mast) “only” for 38 thousand 520 hryvnia (more than 3.8 thousand euros) per day. True, for the same money, guests of the city will then be able to stay in this room for another three days, but this offer can no longer be called relevant. On the days of the first matches of the group stage, this hotel offers rooms for 12 thousand 840 hryvnia per day, and on the day of the quarterfinal match the price already rises to 25 thousand 680 hryvnia (about 2.5 thousand euros).

The most prestigious hotel in Donetsk – Donbass Palace, which is located in the city center, opposite Lenin Square and a few public transport stops from the stadium, will host the UEFA “family”, that is, the leadership of the European association, commercial partners of the championship, French teams and England, referees, sponsors, administrators, UEFA friends and so on. Therefore, already now all rooms in Donbass Palace have been booked for the period of Euro 2012, and their cost for distinguished guests has not been announced..

Another well-known hotel in Donetsk, Victoria, where several more buildings are being urgently completed, is located in the immediate vicinity of the Donbass Arena. The cheapest number here and now costs 2.5 thousand hryvnia (250 euros) per day, and during the championship the cost increases by at least 40% (according to some unofficial data – 2-3 times). At the same time, as the administration of the four-star hotel announced at the end of April, not a single room was left on the dates of the matches – everything was occupied.

Even the cheapest hotel in Donetsk with the “speaking” name “Economy” has raised prices – usually a room here costs from 180 hryvnia (18 euros per night), and for June the owners set prices from 900 to 1500 euros for 4 days, and for a shorter period the hotel does not rent rooms during Euro 2012.

Today you can find inexpensive offers only in nearby cities, for example, Makeevka, Yenakievo, Gorlovka, and so on. Here you can find hotel rooms for about 100 euros, but you will have to travel to the matches quite far.

Many universities in Donetsk have also decided to make money on the fans and offer rooms without amenities in their own hostels. Prices here are in the range from 335 to 670 hryvnia (from 33 to 67 euros), which, in principle, is not that expensive, given that most of the student dormitories are located in the center of the mining capital, and in all rooms on the eve of the championship redecorating.

Donetsk will also open its own Camping Park – 2012, the cost of living in one tent will cost the fans 35-45 euros per day, if a guest arrives with his tent, a place for her in the camping will cost only 10 euros per day. The tent city will be located outside the city – between the highways to Mariupol and Zaporozhye.

Kiev

The capital of Ukraine will also host five Euro 2012 matches:

• Ukraine – Sweden – will be held on June 11;
• Sweden – England – will take place on June 15;
• Sweden – France – scheduled for June 19;
• worm final – will be held on June 24;
• and the main event of Euro 2012, which concludes the championship – the final, which will be held on July 1.

Kiev offers fans a wide range of accommodation options: from hostels (a night in a room for 6-8 people costs from 50 euros per bed here) to luxury apartments in the city center at a price of over 3 thousand euros per day. Since there are very few cheap hotels in the Ukrainian capital today, it was necessary to involve student hostels in the accommodation of guests of the city (in this regard, all Ukrainian students were sent on vacation a month earlier this year). The cost of one room in the Kiev “hostel” on average costs much more than in other host cities of Euro 2012 – about 150 euros per day.

The main difference between Kiev hotels and Donetsk offers is that the cost of accommodation for all days of the group selection, the quarterfinals and finals are practically the same, the hotels of the capital did not raise prices even more on the days of landmark matches.

The cost of rooms in Kiev hotels starts from 170 euros, you can find apartments at a price of 336 euros per day, there is also a traditional camping, a tent for two beds in which fans will cost 77 euros per day.

The cost of living in different hotels in Kiev has increased unevenly during the championship. For example, a room in Apart-Hall Panorama in June will cost 370 euros, while now it is 4.5 times cheaper – 80 euros. The private hotel “Business Center Apartment” has raised the cost of its rooms 6 times, if now a room costs about 40 euros, then on match days it is not possible to rent a room for less than 260 euros. There is only one free standard room in 7 Sky Hotel, which costs 800 euros during the tournament, now its price is 11.5 times less – only 70 euros.

In all Ukrainian cities that will host Euro 2012 matches, you can stay in a private apartment – a lot of real estate agencies and just homeowners in Kiev, Kharkov, Donetsk and Lviv hope to earn money from the fans. The average cost of a three-room apartment, which can comfortably accommodate 3-4 people, is 200 euros per day, but the owners of apartments with European-quality repair and in the central districts of cities raise prices to 500 euros per night. For comparison, now an apartment with European-quality repair can be rented in Donetsk for 200 hryvnia (20 euros) per day, so prices in this sector have increased 10 times..

Interestingly, the municipal authorities disapprove of the rent of private apartments by fans and the initiative of Sergei Nikitenko, head of the main economic department of the Donetsk city council, who proposed to settle fans in private apartments on purpose and create a unified housing register for this purpose, did not find support. In Poland, on the contrary, this practice has become generally accepted – in Gdansk and Poznan, more than 20 thousand official agreements have already been signed for renting apartments for the duration of the championship matches..

UEFA representatives said that on average, accommodation in Ukrainian cities will cost fans 2 times more than in Polish cities. For example, hotels in Wroclaw offer rooms at prices ranging from 55 to 700 euros per day, in Gdansk you can find a place in a hostel for only 35 euros, and the most expensive hotel rooms in this city will cost fans 550 euros. In Poznan, a double tent in a camping costs 70 euros, and the average price of hotel rooms in mini-hotels in the city is 110 euros. Slightly higher prices for accommodation in Warsaw hotels – from 50 euros in a hostel and up to 3 thousand euros in a luxurious five-star apartment. It is not surprising that most of the teams participating in the championship will reside in Poland..

Fans have already calculated that it is cheaper to fly to matches to Ukrainian cities from Europe – a round-trip flight will cost 200 euros, so it will cost only 600 euros to fly to all three matches of your favorite team in the qualifying round, while living in the republic for this period will cost much more. Many fans, especially young ones who come “light”, even plan to spend the night after the mast in pubs, tasting local beers, so they do not intend to rent expensive hotel rooms.

Borys Kolesnikov, Minister of Infrastructure and Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, noted that if the owners of hotels and private apartments do not reduce the cost of living, they may be left without profit at all. Martin Kallen, UEFA’s Chief Operating Officer, said that some Ukrainian hotels are simply: “They spoil the image of their country and the tournament as a whole by inflating prices. If the cost remains at the same level, there will be no guests at all, so let’s be more rational ”! And in Donetsk, the Antimonopoly Committee has already begun, at the request of the city council, to check the pricing in hotels, trying to force the owners to lower prices that are too high..

Ordinary Ukrainians also decided to deal with this situation – a website has been opened where everyone who wants to provide an apartment or a room to fans can register for free. The motto of the event is “Let’s prove that Ukrainians are the most hospitable nation”! now in the group “Laskavo we ask – Welcome to Ukraine” there are already about a thousand participants. Such an undertaking was not supported by the Kiev authorities – according to them, in this situation it is impossible to guarantee the safety of fans who may face fraudsters and so on..

The desire to make money on such a large-scale and significant event as the European Football Championship is quite understandable and understandable, especially since most hotel owners have invested heavily in construction or renovation. Judging by the fact that booking rooms in individual hotels in Kiev and Donetsk is going very briskly, many will succeed, but too high prices may still scare off some European fans. It will be possible to judge how profitable the hotel tactics will be only after the end of Euro 2012.