(Yicai Global) Jan. 17 -- Room prices at some budget hotels in a very popular tourist destination in China’s southwestern Yunnan province have soared to more than CNY2,000 (USD296) a night for the fast-approaching Chinese New Year holiday.

Hanting Hotels is offering rooms for about CNY780 (USD115) a night in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, rising to over CNY2,200 during the seven-day break that starts on Jan. 21, data from travel platforms showed. Rival GreenTree Inn is charging CNY2,300 a night over the same period.

The average cost of a room at Hanting Hotels and GreenTree Inn in Xishuangbanna is about CNY250 in the off-peak season, according to information on online travel platform Trip.Com.

Despite the price hikes, bookings for Xishuangbanna are still good for the Chinese New Year holiday. Rooms at the local hotels of Jinjiang Inn, Home Inn and others are fully booked.

Yunnan is China's second-most popular destination for the upcoming Spring Festival, as the lunar new year period is known in China, attracting about 18 percent of holidaymakers, according to data from travel agency Tuniu. Hainan ranks first, with 30 percent.

Hotel rates in other popular cities in Yunnan have not climbed by as much. Budget hotels in Kunming and Lijiang are offering rooms from CNY300 to over CNY500 a night during the vacation, with those in Dali priced at around CNY1,000.

Some Chinese travelers changed their minds and decided to go elsewhere during the break because of soaring prices in Xishuangbanna. Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand and Singapore, are the preferred alternative destinations.

Editors: Shi Yi, Martin Kadiev