Claims by Australian tour operators of high hotel prices during next year's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand have been have been dismissed by the Hospitality Association as a "beat-up" to drive prices down.

"This is an Aussie beat-up, using selected rates to try and influence the New Zealand market," Hospitality Association New Zealand chief executive officer Bruce Robertson said.

It's pretty cheeky of the Australians, given the rates they charged during their World Cup, he said.

"The reality is there will be plenty of rooms available, and there will be packages that will meet most budgets, depending on how far they are willing to travel for a given event."

Australian tour operators said fans from across the Tasman would prefer to fly to New Zealand, watch the World Cup games and fly out again rather than pay over-inflated room rates being asked by hoteliers.

Australian Sports Tours general manage Sam Harrison said some of the prices being charged were "ridiculous".

"We have been offered hotels in Hamilton, for example, at the Ibis Hotel for $700 a night, where they are usually $60 or $100 a night," he said.

Warren Livingstone, managing director of the Australian We Love Rugby tour company, told 3News last night the Hilton Hotel in Auckland offered a minimum 10-night stay, at $1700 per night - a 400 per cent hike on his Bledisloe cup stay.

"Word is starting to get out, and as a result people are thinking about flying in on the day of the game and flying back out - they don't want to be ripped off," he said.

Rugby World Cup head Martin Snedden said thousands of rooms had already been filled, and hoteliers asking too much - and having empty rooms as a result - would have to drop their prices.

"It's important, whilst you do charge peak prices, you don't overcharge and take the risk not only of complaints but of people making the decision not to come because prices are too high," he told 3News.

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