Beijing 2008 Olympics Hotels Booking
For the most part Beijing is ready for the 2008 Summer Olympics and for the many visitors that will flood into the city. However from a tourism perspective and in terms of hotel accommodation, there is a huge element of dissatisfaction because of the great shortage of beds.
The predicted number of visitors to Beijing year will exceed 50,200 of which 17,000 will be athletes and their support teams, 4,600 Olympic Committees members, 21,600 journalists and 7,000 Olympic sponsors and spectators.
The vast majority of the visitors will be housed at the city’s hotels. The athletes and their escort teams will be housed in the Olympic Village, and the journalist are expected to stay at the journalist village.
Over 4,000 Hotels and hostels will provide over 570,000 beds throughout the entire city but this figure is still nearly a million short of the expected requirements.
The Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG) for the Olympic Games has promised to the International Olympics Committee that the hotel industry will supply the preferential prices to visitors during the Olympic time.
To keep its promise, the BOCOG has signed contracts with 112 hotels. The contract specifies that hotels will be able to charge between 1.4 and 1.6 more than their normal rates during the Games. Tourists can expect to pay $353 for a standard room at a five-star hotel during the Games, according to the pricing schedule. A standard room at a four-star hotel will cost $272 while a standard room at a three-star hotel will cost $176.
But hotel prices greatly deviate from the original promised commitment and hotel prices have seemingly rocketed out of control. Prices for some mediocre 4-star hotel have soared to 4000-6000 yuan $500-650 per night for bookings covering the whole Olympic period of 16 days.
The unacceptably expensive hotel prices have caused some foreigners to consider renting flats close to the Olympic venues. Actually this practice worked during the 2004 Athens Olympics and a significant number of travelers were housed in private flats. But rental of a flat in China is strictly controlled by the Chinese government and very complicated procedures are required.
Taking all elements into consideration, the most discerning travelers often opt for booking a hotel or tour package through reliable travel company.
Another option is to stay hotels in the neighboring cities or towns such as Tianjin rather than in Beijing.
Other Olympic venues Chengde, Qinhuangdao in Heibei Province and Tianjin have also signed contracts with the Beijing Olympic Committee to make commitments increase hotel prices at a controlled margin.
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