NEW YORK, July 30 (Reuters) - With the Olympics underway

in Paris, hotel operators made a final push to lure last-minute

travelers, lowering prices and dropping minimum stay

requirements after some people balked at what they saw as

price-gouging prior to the games.

The Paris Tourist office said Monday that average hotel

prices during the games have fallen to 258 euros per night -

down from 342 euros earlier in the summer, which had represented

a 70% increase from the average 202 euro price in July 2023.

Travel agents say visitors may clinch discounts of between

10% and 70% as operators offer deals after demand for the Games

fell below expectations due to high prices and security

concerns.

"Paris is not at all busy. There is space and hotel prices

are about 20% cheaper," said Denise Alevy, a travel agent who

booked a last-minute trip to the city. "I found many hotels at

very good prices."

Booking Holdings' ( BKNG ) metasearch engine KAYAK said hotel

prices in the city decreased 16% in July compared to June. Hotel

Planner said it is seeing a drop of as much as 66% in average

hotel prices for four-star hotels in Paris through early

August.

"The hospitality industry in France and worldwide has

undoubtedly been taught a lesson against price-gouging when

looking to capitalize on major events," said Tim Hentschel, CEO

of Hotel Planner, a travel booking website.

In July, France-based hotel operator Accor revised

its expected gains from the Olympics, having previously forecast

a 2% increase in revenue per available room in France during the

Games.

"That's no longer the case," Accor Chief Executive Sebastien

Bazin said on an earnings call. However, he said the company is

doing well in terms of pricing and occupancy which is over 80%

across Accor hotels during the Games.

Some hotels have dropped restrictions, including arrival

dates and length of stay requirements, to attract last-minute

travelers, according to travel agents.

"The rules have dropped but the prices not so much," said

Neil Kurman of Protravel International travel agent, a luxury

travel agency. Five-star hotels like Le Royal Monceau Raffles

are still charging close to 3,000 euros per night during the

games, he said.

Accor may see a 0.5% uptick in room revenue if travelers

flock to the city in the months following the Olympics, Accor's

Bazin said, but the company's outlook remains conservative.

(Reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by David

Gaffen, David Holmes and Ros Russell)