A general view of the Russki Gorki Ski Jumping Center in Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 21, 2014. Sochi will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games from February 7 to 23. REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk
A general view of the Russki Gorki Ski Jumping Center in Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 21, 2014. Sochi will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games from February 7 to 23. REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk
A general view of the Russki Gorki Ski Jumping Center in Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi January 21, 2014. Sochi will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games from February 7 to 23. REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk

Despite terrorism scares and anti-gay sentiments, prices of hotels in Sochi, Russia, host of the 2014 22nd Winter Olympics, have started ballooning and could reach by as much as $243 per night, a whopping jump of 121 per cent.

This as thousands of tickets, totaling 30 per cent, have yet to be sold less than three weeks before the start of the games.

The games will run from Feb 7 to 23. According to www.trivago.com.uk, a hotel search comparison Web site, a price peak will occur on Feb 14 and 15, the second weekend of the games. Hotels will charge an average of $268 per night, a tremendous jump of 144 per cent.

Prices are most affordable, albeit still quite high, on the opening at $223 per night and closing ceremonies at $205 per night.

Prices of hotels in Sochi before the games between Jan 25 and 31 averaged $111 per night.

A view of the Bolshoy Ice Dome in the Olympic Park is seen at the Adler district of Sochi January 20, 2014. Sochi will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games from February 7 to February 23. REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk

Denise Bartlett, UK PR manager at Trivago, told Telegraph the rise is still relatively cheaper compared to the London 2012 Olympic games. She did admit the percentage jack-up was tremendously high.

"The maximum increase during London 2012 was 84 per cent, from an average of £185 during July 2011 to £340 during the games," Ms Bartlett said.

"However, this was when booking three months in advance. Closer to the event, hoteliers dropped their prices to fill up remaining availability and the increase amounted to just 14 per cent."

Threats of terrorist attacks as well as attacks on the members of the LGBT community are believed to have taken a toll of the upcoming games in Russia.

Russian traffic police officers stand guard during patrol on a road near venues at the Olympic Park near Sochi January 7, 2014. Russian forces went on combat alert in Sochi and tightened restrictions on access to the Black Sea resort on Tuesday as part of measures by President Vladimir Putin to ensure security at next month's Winter Olympics. REUTERS/Kazbek Basayev

"Some people are scared it costs too much and other people are scared because of security," Gerhard Heiberg, a senior International Olympic Committee member from Norway, told AP. "From my country, I know that several people and companies are not going for these two reasons. Of course, there will be Norwegians there but not as many as we are used to."

According to portal macleans.ca, the latest block of tickets went on sale just before Christmas. But the games official Web site remains loaded with deals in a seeming apparent attempt to lure visitors to watch the games. Some of the deals include:

  • $48 for a pass to watch Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse slide for gold in women's bobsled;
  • $65 for seats for Canada's opening-round tilt with the U.S. in men's hockey:
  • $212 for passes to the gold-medal game in women's hockey.
A general view of the Olympic Park is seen at the Adler district of Sochi, January 20, 2014. The view shows Fisht Olympic Stadium (back L), Iceberg Skating Palace (back R) and Temple of Christ the Savior. Sochi will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games from February 7 to February 23. REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk

In all, tickets to 73 medal events remain available.

"We are keeping a special quota for those who come for the games, so that they can indeed buy tickets for the competitions," Dmitry Chernyshenko, organizing committee chief, said.

About 213,000 spectators are expected at the games. Majority or about 75 per cent will likely be Russians.

"With 70 percent of tickets already sold and another ticketing office opening shortly, we are expecting strong last-minute ticket sales and do not envisage having empty seats," the organising committee told AP.