St Andrews lodging prices surge for Open Championship, with seven-night stays near £57,000
Airbnb listings around the Open Championship in St Andrews show eye-watering rates for the 2027 event, drawing criticism from consumers and local officials.
Prices for accommodation around the Open Championship in St Andrews, Fife, are rising sharply ahead of the 2027 event, with some Airbnb listings asking as much as £57,388 for a seven-night stay.
One seven-night listing in Murray Park is advertised for July 11–18 at £57,388, including a £75 cleaning charge and an Airbnb service fee of £8,313. The property sits near the Old Course, where world number one Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are expected to tee off.
Consumer reaction and broader context follow. A market watcher described the pricing as dynamic pricing at its worst, highlighting the rapid inflation in weekly rates for peak Open dates. Local critics from St Andrews say the rents are stratospheric and risk pricing many out of affordable access, though some note that demand for the Open around the town is unusually high.
A Liberal Democrat MSP and a local councillor also weighed in, urging a broader view of value for money and access for visitors. An Airbnb spokesman said hosts determine prices and that these listings have not received any reservations and are therefore not representative of booked accommodation for The Open Golf Championship. VisitScotland encouraged businesses to consider the importance of providing great quality services and hospitality that offer value for money.
Other listings show the scale of the price spread. A four-bedroom townhouse is listed at about £3,000 per night during the Open week, but the same property trades at around £600 per night in the weeks before and after. The seven-night cost for the Murray Park property drops to around £4,000 in the weeks surrounding the championship, roughly £575 per night, illustrating how demand hinges on the Open calendar. The dynamic pricing highlights the market for event-driven accommodation and shows why researchers and consumer groups warn of potential affordability issues for visiting fans.
For St Andrews and the broader tourism sector, the prices add a new layer of complexity to hosting a world-class sport event in a town already defined by its golf heritage. Officials say visitors will still flock to the Open, and many players will arrive to compete, but the pricing pattern underscores the need for balanced offerings that preserve access for fans with varying budgets.