A luxury barge on Liverpool’s seafront is being advertised for £2,500 a night on Airbnb over May’s Eurovision weekend, with all city center hotel bookings sold out.
The Eurovision Song Contest is being held in the city on May 13 after the UK offered to host it for last year’s winners Ukraine, who are locked in a war with Russia and not they can accommodate
Within minutes of Liverpool being announced as the host city in October last year, hotels were booked across the city with room prices soaring to obscene highs, the Liverpool Echo reported.
To stay on the boat during the Eurovision weekend of May 12-14, the total cost would be £5,000 plus a £105 cleaning fee, although no tickets have been released for the event
A luxury converted houseboat is one of many properties available in Liverpool for Eurovision
It retails for £2,500 a night over the Eurovision weekend in May
The houseboat is furnished with 6 modern double bedrooms
Operated by Boutique Barge, the converted vessel includes 6 modern bedrooms and even a cinema room.
The listing says: “This huge converted barge has been fitted out with 6 modern bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms and hydro-massage showers, allowing it to accommodate up to 16 people.
“The newly renovated barge is stylish and spacious with its own cinema room, equipped with a projector, smart TV and blackout blinds.
“There are spacious social spaces both inside and outside.”
The luxury block has a fully equipped movie theater where potential fans could watch the show
It is a short distance from the M&S Bank stage where Eurovision takes place
The barge is a popular spot on site and has an average weekend rental price of between £500 and £3000 per night, depending on the season.
A weekend getaway on the boat in October would cost just £1,600.
Located within walking distance of the 11,000 seater Liverpool M&S Bank Arena where the event will take place, the barge is in an enviable position for anyone wishing to attend the events.
However, while accommodation in the city is more or less sold out, tickets for the event have yet to go on public sale.
In a short statement on their website, the organizers explained why there is a natural delay in the allocation of tickets.
They said: “Ticket prices, availability and even the ticket supplier will take a little longer to decide while the organizers assess how much space is needed for the production within the venue.
“As the Eurovision Song Contest is a live television production, some sections of the seats may need to be altered to accommodate cameras, technical crew and the stage.
“That depends entirely on the chosen site.”
Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson and Mayor of Turin Stefano Lo Russo pose for a photo as they officially hand over the Eurovision keys to Liverpool.
The Royal Liver building in Liverpool, Merseyside lights up as the Eurovision Song Contest officially rolls into town.
The international music extravaganza will take place in May at the 11,000-capacity Liverpool Arena, culminating in the grand finale on 13 May.
The official keys to the Eurovision Song Contest were handed over from previous host city Turin to Liverpool in a grand ceremony yesterday.
Ukrainian tears of gratitude flowed after Britain stepped in to host the competition on their behalf with a prediction that this year’s event in Liverpool will be “the best show ever”.
Mayor of Turin Stefano Lo Russo and Mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson sealed the delivery, known as the Badge, with a handshake.
But the continued uncertainty of hosting has been a worrying trend in Liverpool’s Eurovision build-up.
Shortly after the city was chosen in October, several Airbnb users reported that their Airbnb hosts were canceling pre-existing bookings for the Eurovision weekend.
Prices to stay in the city for the Eurovision weekend, which takes place on May 13, also soared, with some Airbnb hosts offering accommodation for more than £10,000.
Booking.com reported that 99 per cent of its accommodation in the city was fully booked, with the few remaining hotels up to £2,000.
A one-night stay on May 13 at the Eleanor Rigby Apartments Stanley Street would cost a couple £5,760, a “cozy” two-bed Liverpool house would set you back £5,375, and a house, which sleeps 10 , was also seen. over £8,000.
Some Eurovision fans who had pre-booked accommodation in the city in anticipation of the contest being held there, however, have been left disappointed after the hosts suddenly canceled their bookings.
Hosts cancel pre-existing bookings in Liverpool after it was announced that the city will host the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine
One man said he booked and paid for the Airbnb for the song contest, but it was canceled 12 hours later. It claims it was later put back on the site with a 204 percent surcharge
Another man, who booked a hotel in anticipation of Liverpool hosting the competition, saw his booking canceled claiming his credit card had expired.
However, despite the uproar online, an Airbnb spokesperson refuted the claims at the time, saying: “We’ve seen no evidence to support these claims, and we take a number of actions to discourage hosts from canceling stays, including applying fees, penalties, and blocking hosts from accepting more stays.
“One in four guests say they choose Airbnb to save money and the average price per night for a stay during Eurovision is just £228.
“In the unlikely event of a problem, our 24/7 support team is available to help.”
With rooms still at a premium three months on, Liverpool City Council yesterday moved to ease the concerns of traveling fans.
Director of Culture, Clare McColgan, stressed that the council “will be making some announcements shortly about other accommodation”.
MailOnline has contacted Liverpool City Council for more information on its planned additional accommodation.
Source: Houseboat in Liverpool listed on Airbnb for £2,500-a-night during Eurovision – with hotels sold out
