IT will cost visitors an average of £65 per night to book a night in a Weymouth hotel - almost twice as much as Blackpool but around half of that in Sidmouth.

Weymouth ranks midway in a list of 30 seaside resorts in the UK for hotel accommodation, according to a survey.

Hotel booking site cheaprooms.co.uk compared lodging rates across 30 popular coastal areas.

The results were compiled based on the average price for the cheapest available double room in a hotel or guest house during the month of August. Only properties located within walking distance of a beach and rated at least 3 stars were considered.

Weymouth is listed as the 14th most expensive destination at an average rate of £65 per night.

Poole came in at fourth, at £104 per night and Bournemouth matched Weymouth with a rate of £65 per night.

With an average rate of £132 per night, the town of Sidmouth in Devon topped the list. At the cheaper end of the scale, with an average rate of only £34 per night, the famous resort of Blackpool in the English county of Lancashire ranks as the most affordable UK destination.

Overall, average hotel rates at UK seaside resorts dropped by about 15 per cent, compared to three years ago when the same survey was conducted.