koz

Thanks Oliver2002. I know from experience that the Rydges airport hotel here in SYD is much more expensive if you book close to the date, as you described for PI at OSL, but looking at both the Park Inn & Radisson Blu for OSL - if I was to book to stay next Tuesday night, 7 August, the price is actually quite cheap (Members rates of $A208 for PI and $A240 for RB and these are flexible rates so they must have unsold rooms) compared to the prices for next July. I've just had a look at prices for rooms on a Tuesday each month in both the Radisson Blu & Park Inn from now until next July, when we need to book a room for a Tuesday night, to get an idea of the variation in prices. Looking at 28 August, just under a month away, and then generally the first Tuesday of each month from September, the prices are not varying greatly until the end of May 2019.

I have a Radisson Rewards Gold membership through my American Express Platinum card and looking at a standard room at both hotels the Advance Purchase Members Rate and Flexible Members Rate are generally showing as around $A260 (Adv P)/$A306 (Flex) for PI and $A259/$A324 for RB each month, with October being cheaper. However as soon as I get to June & July 2019 the rates jump by over one hundred Australian Dollars (approx 64 Euro) to $A360/$A450 for PI and $A374/$A467 for RB. Considering that this is a large increase in price for June and July next year compared with all months over a 10 month period between now and the end of May I think I'll wait and see if the July 2019 prices drop to similar levels as the other months before booking.