Despite the fact that global hotel prices rose by 1% in 2015, in Asia, there was a 5% decrease instead – and specifically in Malaysia, prices decreased by 11% compared to 2014, according to Hotels.com’s 2015 Hotel Price Index (HPI). The HPI calculations are based on bookings made on the website and actual prices paid by customers per night per room, inclusive of taxes and fees.

The HPI also revealed that Asia is still a top choice among travellers world wide. According to rates paid by Malaysians who travelled to other Asian countries, the HPI showed that hotel rates in Krabi decreased by 12% from 2014 to 2015, closely followed by Taipei with 11%.

Koh Samui and Songkhla in Thailand also showed significant decreases at 7% and 4% respectively while Boracay, Bali, Hong Kong, Macau, Phuket, and Singapore all saw a 3% decrease in hotel prices paid by travellers.

Senior Marketing Director of APAC for Hotels.com, Nelson Allen, indicated that it’s a good time for Malaysians to travel around Asia Pacific as the increase in new hotels and lower price trends offer better value, even with the recent fluctuation in the ringgit.

As for travel within Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur still holds top spot as the country’s most popular destination among international and local travellers. KL is also on the top 3 destination for Singaporean travellers and is in the top 20 for travellers from India, Thailand, Australia and Japan, and the average hotel price in KL decreased by 9% in 2015, according to the HPI.

For anyone who’s looking to travel within Malaysia, Tanah Rata in Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, and Langkawi were the top three highest decreases in hotel prices paid by travellers to the region, with Tanah Rata showing an incredible 44% decrease.

This makes the Cameron Highlands a particularly attractive destination for both international and domestic travellers. Other Malaysian destinations with a significant decrease in hotel prices are Kota Kinabalu, Penang, Malacca, Johor Bahru, and Kuala Lumpur, among others.

“The latest numbers out of Asia show this may be the best time to travel in Asia Pacific. The growth in new hotels and the current price levels offer great value to travelers”
– Nelson Allen, Senior Marketing Director of APAC for Hotels.com

Many of these destinations are already popular tourist spots, so the decrease in accommodation pricing will definitely be another boost in attracting more travellers to these areas. So maybe now would be a good time begin planning your next vacation around Malaysia and to help you get started, take a look a the annual leave optimiser to pick out the best travel times.