Don’t rip off Lions fans
New Zealand- bound Lions fans are facing huge surges in accommodation prices, including one motel seeking a nightly rate seven times its normal charge.
A Weekend Herald investigation has revealed Wellington motel Fernhill Motor Lodge is charging $ 1000 a night when the city hosts the second test against the All Blacks on July 1, compared with a regular rate of $ 135.
The Quadrant Hotel in Auckland’s CBD is seeking $ 1125 on the night of the first test, more than three times its room rate the following week.
According to online booking sites, only 5 per cent of hotel rooms in Auckland’s CBD are still available for the first and third All Blacks- Lions tests on June 24 and July 8.
A premier, two- bed “room with a view” at the Quadrant will set you back $ 1125 for the night of June 24, according to Expedia. The same room is available for $ 369 a night just t wo nights later.
Around 20,000 Lions fans are expected in New Zealand for the five- week tour, which starts on June 3, and there are warnings that overhyped prices will spoil the rugby festival.
AA general manager of travel and tourism Grant Lilly said that while accommodation rates were under pressure as a result of demand during the tour, these skyrocketing prices were a cause for concern. “It looks inherently overpriced.”
Barclay Suites, a 4.5- star serviced apartment in the heart of Auckland city, is charging $ 899 a night on June 24 for a one- bedroom deluxe suite on Expedia.
Should you choose to stay just two nights later on June 26, the same room will cost $ 700 less.
The Weekend Herald approached the Quadrant and Barclay Suites for comment, but they did not respond by deadline.
Accommodation in the capital for the second test on July 1 is also in short supply, with 95 per cent of rooms in the Wellington area snapped up.
A standard studio room at Fernhill Motor Lodge in Lower Hutt — 13km from Westpac Stadium — has a price tag of $ 1000 a night on Expedia. The same room costs $ 135 a night on the website at other times of the year.
The manager at Fernhill Motor Lodge declined to comment.
A Hospitality NZ spokeswoman said any major event that brought a lot of visitors to town would create high demand for accommodation, which could result in increased room rates.
“Room rates will likely increase around the game days but we do warn our members against setting room rates too high.
“Those who are seen to price gouge are generally the exception and will often find themselves with low occupancy as ultimately the public decides what they were prepared to pay.”
It’s not the first time footy fans have been stung by price gouging. During the 2011 Rugby World Cup, one Auckland motel was charging $ 1090 for a one- bedroom unit on the night of the final — 16 times the usual $ 65 a night.
Consumer NZ chief executive Suzanne Chetwin said that despite it not being a “very moral” thing to do, accommodation providers could charge the prices they liked as long as they delivered the service they advertised.
Demand for homes, apartments and even spare rooms is also through the roof during the tour, with 2500 guest arrivals from Britain already booked through Airbnb by February 2017.
That i s over 40 times more bookings from Britain than at the same period last year.
Some Auckland homes near Eden Park are being offered for more than $ 1000 a night during the tour, while a few single bedrooms, with access to shared facilities within the house, are available for over the $ 200 mark.
One three- bedroom pad advertised as “Lions Tour Holiday Villa 700 metres from Eden Park” will cost about $ 1500 a night according to the Airbnb website.
The high prices drove Greymouth rugby fan Adam Gilshnan to start a billeting campaign, asking Kiwis to open their homes to Lions supporters.
The Adopt a Lions Fan campaign has seen at least a few hundred people across the country offer to host travellers during the tour.
“It’s just exploded. I even have dairy farmers saying ‘ hey come stay on the farm’,” said Gilshnan.
“A lot of Lions’ tour travellers are priced out of the market.
“A lot of people are struggling to find accommodation or at least within their price range.”
Gilshnan described the price hikes as “crazy” and “not a good look” but he recognised that high demand would cause room rates to increase.
“That is part of the reason I set up [ Adopt a Lions Fan] to show we aren’t all out to make money off [ the tour],” he said.
Room rates will likely increase around the game days but we do warn our members against setting room rates too high. Hospitality NZ spokeswoman