Rottnest Island vacationers outraged over 30 per cent hike in accommodation prices

Rottnest Island accommodation appears to have spiked by 30 per cent in a single year – but the authority in charge of the increasingly exclusive getaway is refusing to confirm the size of the hike or provide any insight into how prices are set. The eye-watering jump has sparked an outpouring of online anger from some regular Rottnest vacationers and reignited debate the island is becoming a playground accessible only to the wealthy. However, others point to the unrelenting demand for everything from camping spots to cabins as a sign the growing costs have done little to perturb holiday seekers. All accommodation managed by the Rottnest Island Authority goes on sale on the first working Wednesday of each month for the next booking period, which is nine months in advance. The sales events — known as open days — routinely attract virtual queues running into the thousands, with practically every option snapped up within an hour. RIA abruptly ended its long-running practice of publicly releasing set prices for the following year in 2022. Instead, prices are only available right at the point of confirming a booking. The mad rush each open day means anyone who does not accept the first option they have picked when they finally get to see the price is at risk of missing out completely. Confirming a booking requires a 25 per cent deposit. A subsequent cancellation — provided it is at least 30 days in advance — costs $55. Regular users of the system received a major shock on Wednesday — the most recent open day, which accepted bookings for the highly-coveted December period — when they discovered the price of their annual getaways had leaped by around a third. In one instance reported to The West Australian, a two-bedroom premium view unit in Geordie Bay for a week including Christmas and Boxing Day had jumped from $3322 last year to $4396 in 2024 – an increase of 32 per cent. Sean — who did not want his last name used — said he had pulled the trigger on the booking “despite the outrageous price” because his family had spent 20 of the last 23 summer holidays on Rottnest. “Rotto is a cult for many people who book regardless of the price, because like us, they love the place,” he said. “But it’s no longer an affordable family holiday — you’re paying $630 a night for basic accommodation, and that’s without ferry fares and bike transportation fees. “Crown Towers is cheaper and down south is now cheaper. It’s ridiculous.” The opaque pricing structure and skyrocketing costs generated a torrent of criticism on one of the Facebook groups that has sprung up to help people swap and on-sell bookings they can no longer use. “I really believe that there needs to be much more transparency in Rottnest pricing and booking,” wrote Leisa Munro. “This is getting ridiculous — the people of WA are absolutely being priced out of a Rottnest holiday. “Whilst I really hope that accommodation always remains basic, many units are in disrepair and absolutely filthy. Disappointing when you’re paying ‘top dollar’.” Another user, Keith Henley, reported a 35 per cent increase in price for the same unit he had booked last year. “Poorly managed by a government organisation with buckets of money coming in every time a ferry delivers another batch of landing fees,” he wrote. Marg Siinmaa said Rottnest Island had become an “absolute rip off” and was “no longer a family holiday destination”. But for all the discontent there remains a significant chunk of West Australians seemingly willing to pay whatever it takes to secure their slice of paradise. They include Naomi Twyford, whose family has been spending Christmas on Rottnest since the 1970s. The four-bedroom North Thomson unit she booked from December 21 to 28 was $5369 – up 35 per cent from $3976 in 2022. “Honestly, we love Rotto so much that I didn’t even look at the price, I just paid it,” Ms Twyford said. “For me, I don’t care — I would prefer to go to Rottnest than anywhere else in the world really.” Acknowledging she was one of the privileged few who could afford that kind of attitude towards a holiday, Ms Twyford said the recent price hike was “significant” and she hoped the resultant revenue would be reinvested in more affordable accommodation options, such as the Caroline Thomson cabins. A spokesman for the Rottnest Island Authority would not reveal how much prices had increased compared to 2023 nor whether costs fluctuated depending on the number of people in the virtual queue. “The increase in prices across all Stay Rottnest accommodation is reflective of the significant increase in the cost of accommodation support services, such as cleaning, maintenance and luggage handling,” he said. “Accommodation fees fund the operating, maintenance and refurbishment costs associated with Stay Rottnest accommodation.” He said a “wide range of accommodation options” were available, including the lower-priced Caroline Thomson and Kingstown Barracks “which start from $93 per night”. When pushed over whether that price was available in December, he conceded the 2024 summer school holiday price for a Caroline Thomson cabin was in fact $176 per night. “RIA does not publish a price list for Stay Rottnest accommodation due to multiple factors contributing to variable pricing throughout the year such as school holidays, seasonal changes and supply,” he said. Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti said the rising price of a Rotto stay was reflective of the “cost of delivering the services on the island” – as well as high levels of demand. “Demand continues to outstrip supply and that’s been the case for many, many years,” Ms Saffioti said. “We need to increase our supply and our affordability. We’re looking at how we can support further affordable accommodation across the island. “The reality is the cost of delivering the services on the island has increased, so this is recovering those costs.” Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall said a large amount had been spent upgrading accommodation on Rottnest – including the recent award of a $12.7 million contract to refurbish 67 units in Geordie Bay and Fay’s Bay and the offering was now “a mile apart from what it was just a few years ago”. Units at South Thomson - 48 in total - were also renovated and an extensive program of refurbishments to ablution facilities is also well underway, with Longreach and Geordie bays, The Basin, West End and the visitors centre already completed. “I certainly don’t think it is the job of the State government to subsidise holiday accommodation,” Mr Hall said. “It should be priced the same way any other holiday accommodation is priced. If it was overpriced, people wouldn’t be queuing up to get to it.”