hotel.info, the free online hotel reservation service with more than 210,000 hotels worldwide has researched the average room rates during the 4th quarter 2011 throughout the European Union to help all holiday makers choose wisely.

Sweden leads the charge as the country with the most expensive hotel rooms, with rooms costing an average of £115.02 per night. Lithuania on the other hand, is bottom of the table with rooms costing only £51.68, more than 50% cheaper than Sweden.

The UK comes in third place with rooms at £102.88, a rise of 3% from the same time last year, and is just behind Denmark with an average cost of £105.81. The top five features three Scandinavian countries, suggesting that people are having to dig deep when paying a visit.

At the other end of the spectrum, holiday makers can save money by visiting Poland. The average rate here has decreased by 7% to an average of £61.36. The case is the same in Hungary, where room rates are only half of those compared to Sweden at £57.56. The most satisfied travellers are those staying in the Czech Republic and Lithuania, where the average overnight rates are only 56.34 and £51.68 respectively.