Room prices in Rio rocket as landlords dig for Olympic gold

Rio de Janeiro

WITH hotels mostly booked, landlords are charging a pretty penny for tourists still seeking accommodation in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics in August - asking as much as US$2,305 per night for a three-bedroom apartment far from venues and beaches.

With 97.3 per cent of hotels full, according to price-comparison website Trivago, visitors are resorting to room rental websites such as Airbnb to find lodging.