AT LEAST 18 hotels stretching out from Newport to Cardiff and Bristol appear to be fully booked up for the Newport Nato summit, eight months before it is set to take place.

As many as 10,000 people are likely to need accommodation for seven nights of the week of the summit with 2,000 delegates and 7,000 journalists expected.

Websites of Hilton, Holiday Inn and Ibis brands show that a number of hotels are already unavailable for booking for the duration of the event.

The Nato summit is due to take place at the Celtic Manor Resort and in Cardiff on September 4 and 5, with more than 60 heads of state due to attend.

Ian Edwards, chief operating officer of the Celtic Manor Resort, told the Argus as many as 10,000 people could need a hotel for the week of the summit amid the build up to the two-day long event.

Gwent police chief constable Jeff Farrar told a meeting of the Gwent Police and Crime Panel last week that all four and five star hotels between Swindon and Swansea are booked up with delegates.

According to the Hilton website there are no rooms available for the nights of September 4 and 5 at the Hilton Newport, Hilton Bristol, the Hampton by Hilton near Magor, the Hilton in Cardiff, the DoubleTree by Hilton near Bristol and the Hilton Garden Inn in Bristol City Centre.

The DoubleTree hotel in Bristol City Centre does have room, but from £209 a night.

The website of the Intercontinental Hotels Group shows the two Holiday Inns and two Holiday Inn Express hotels in Cardiff and Newport are not available for booking, neither are the two Holiday Inns and the Holiday Inn Express in Bristol.

The Ibis and Ibis Budget in Cardiff and Ibis Budget in Malpas cannot be booked, and neither can the Travelodges in Newport city centre or on Cardiff’s St Mary’s Street.

Rooms are available in the Best Western Parkway in Cwmbran – but from £216 a night.

One website – Hotels.com – quoted a price of £638 for a two night stay for one person at the Best Western Maldron hotel in Cardiff.