Travelodge blasted for £124 T in the Park price hike

IT IS famed for its £10 rooms but it will be cheaper to stay at some of Scotland's luxury hotels than spend a night in the Travelodge by T in the Park next weekend.

Yesterday, the SNP's culture spokesman blasted the budget hotel chain for "ripping off" T in the Park fans by hiking prices in advance of the music extravaganza.

The Kinross Travelodge near the festival site is charging up to 179.90 for a room but the day after the festival the cost falls to just 55.90 - the same price as the following weekend.

However, according to Hotels.com it would be 20 a night cheaper to stay over the period of the festival at Glasgow's luxury Blytheswood Square.

And for only 11.35 more per night, guests can enjoy the five-star Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh.

More than 80,000 fans are set to descend on Balado next weekend for Scotland's biggest music festival, headlined by Beyonc, Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, The Strokes and Foo Fighters.

Pete Wishart, the SNP's Westminster spokesman for arts and culture, blasted the prices being charged by Travelodge as "a rip-off."

The former Runrig keyboard player said: "Travelodge are just taking advantage of the situation. It really is dreadful and shameful that a budget hotel is ripping off fans like this.

"My message to fans is don't get ripped off by Travelodge and if you don't fancy camping then head to Perth or around about where you will get a better deal.

"These are not prices you expect from a budget chain that only days previously was trumpeting the fact that it was selling rooms for 10."

A spokeswoman for Travelodge said: "Travelodge is committed to offering consumers the best room rates across the UK.

"Every day a daily price check audit is conducted to ensure it is offering consumers the most competitive room rates within the market place.

"The room rates at Kinross M90 have been priced in line with the local market and, as of this morning, the hotel is fully booked for the weekend of 8 and 9 July.

"The rates at Kinross M90 Travelodge did not have any restrictions unlike other hotels within the area which had a two-night restriction for next weekend. This stopped customers being able to book for one night and forced them to book an additional night which they may not have needed."

n REVIEW: FESTIVAL SPECIAL