Hi Julf, Thank you for your message and for sharing your concern about the hotel rates. We understand that the price for a 7 night stay is in this case quite high compared to usual. However, after reaching out to around ten hotels in the vicinity of the EICC - across 3-, 4-, and 5-star categories - we found that availability and pricing were particularly challenging for RIPE 92 dates. Some properties had no availability at all, others had limited capacity (many have less than 150 rooms in total), and several quoted rates between £350 and £375 per night, which was well above budget. The rates we secured are based on *non-guaranteed* room blocks, since our event is not being hosted within the same hotel. In these cases, hotels typically offer slightly higher rates than they would for in-house conferences. It's also important to note that May is one of Edinburgh’s peak months for corporate travel and events, which naturally drives rates up across the city. Together with the city’s reputation as one of the UK’s more premium destinations, this unfortunately leaves limited flexibility for lower pricing. That being said, we have realized that the current public rates on the Hampton by Hilton website appear lower than our negotiated block rate. We are already in touch with the hotel to clarify the discrepancy and will provide an update as soon as we receive further information. In the meantime, we would transparently recommend booking directly on the hotel’s website if you are ready to secure your accommodation now: Hampton by Hilton – Book Here <https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/rooms/?ctyhocn=EDIFBHX&arrivalDate=2026-05-16&departureDate=2026-05-23&room1NumAdults=1> . Finally, we are working on compiling a list of more budget-friendly properties (such as the Point A Hotel and Hub by Premier Inn Haymarket). However, please note that these will not be room blocks and will therefore depend on each hotel’s individual availability at the time of booking. Thanks for your understanding! Hafsa Events Organiser RIPE NCC On Sat, 25 Oct 2025 at 12:18, Johan Helsingius via ripe-list < ripe-list@ripe.net> wrote:
"For RIPE 92, we secured room blocks at two nearby hotels: the Hampton by Hilton Edinburgh West End and the Moxy Edinburgh Fountainbridge."
OK, checking the Hampton by Hilton at the "Ripe 92 rates", I get "1 room found. Queen Room with Sofa Bed £1,860.00 total for 7 nights"
Hmm...
Julf
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-- Best regards, Hafsa Bou-eddine *Events Organiser* *RIPE NCC*