Big events keep hotels full
A strong lineup of late summer events, from the weekend’s Chinese New Year celebrations to Te Matatini Kapa Haka Festival later this month, is expected to keep the city’s hotels and motels humming.
But it will be the show-stopper Eminem concert and the Homegrown festival – both in March – that will truly see the city’s hotel, motel and Airbnb beds maxed out.
One room at a central-city accommodation facility on the Saturday that Eminem is to perform would cost $813 using the Expedia and Booking.com websites.
Homegrown spokeswoman Kelly Wright said 2019 felt busier than previous years in terms of accommodation, particularly in late March with several events.
‘‘We’re definitely feeling the squeeze on accommodation, even in getting rooms for our artists, which we do way in advance.’’
The music festival requires about 300 hotel rooms for its 42 acts, their entourages and set-up crews.
The festival, which sold out last week, coincides with the International Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) world conference, which is set to bring more than 600 delegates to the city.
The situation was looking even more dire a few weeks prior, with American rapper Eminem’s sell-out show set to bring tens of thousands of people into the city.
Westpac Stadium tweeted the event would be Wellington’s biggest-ever concert with all 45,000 tickets sold and 25,000 fans expected from outside the region.
When the concert was first announced last October, Warrick Dent, of the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (Wreda), anticipated there would be some demand for accommodation but expected many people
‘‘We're definitely feeling the squeeze on accommodation, even in getting rooms for our artists, which we do way in advance.'' Kelly Wright, Homegrown spokeswoman
would stay with friends and family.
‘‘I think we will cope. It will be really busy in town.’’
However, staff at the Wellington i-SITE visitor centre had noticed a significant increase in demand for accommodation with more summer events on than usual.
‘‘With major events, people usually do it [book] way in advance – a month out it can get really expensive.’’
A staff member said her team had fielded mainly email inquiries from people keen for help in navigating the city’s varied accommodation landscape.
Wreda’s regional development destination and attraction general manager, David Perks, said for a number of years, accommodation in February and March had been becoming increasing ‘‘tight’’ in the city.
That was due to an increase in international tourists during summer, as well as the lack of growth in the number of hotel rooms in the central city.
Airbnb options were also becoming increasingly limited with just two private room options available for the Eminem concert on March 2 – the cheapest being $250 a night.
Rounding out the busy period will be Te Matatini Kapa Haka Festival later this month and CubaDupa on March 30 and 31.