That's Not Real Accommodating
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday September 15, 1999
There are two big Olympic accommodation questions: can visitors secure an affordable room during the Games? And can locals turn a buck from their spare room or the whole house if they're not staying around?
Sydney's accommodation market during the Games is expected to be extremely tight, with prices well above usual rates.
The Games organising committee, SOCOG, has booked almost every major hotel across Sydney for use by Olympic officials and dignitaries and for licensed foreign tour operators selling packages in their local markets.
Even Games organisers have been forced to book accommodation for visiting national Olympic committee officials in Picton, Pokolbin, Terrigal and Bundanoon - some distance from Sydney - and are asking for some allocated rooms to be returned to ease the pressure.
Passenger liners moored in Sydney Harbour will also provide extra accommodation.
While 15,000 athletes will stay at the purpose-built Homebush Bay athletes' village, thousands of officials from national Olympic committees, the International Olympic Committee and other Olympic bodies must also be housed.
That demand means that for the more than 250,000 visitors expected for the Games, accommodation may involve significant daily commuting from outlying areas.
Accommodation is being offered in hotels, motels, colleges, recreation centres, backpacker lodges, caravan parks, camping grounds and home hospitality. But concerns have been raised that it is being offered too far out - in the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, north of Sydney and Wollongong, to the city's south.
European operators are among those offering packages, including airfare and accommodation in Wollongong caravan parks for almost $5,000 a week - with no Games ticket included.
Ray White Real Estate plans to house about 10,000 visitors through a program called HomeHost, where they are billeted with families, and HomeStay, where they rent houses vacated by Olympic-shy residents.
Heavy demand is reflected in the prices being asked for houses, with one overseas visitor paying $18,000 a week for three weeks for a waterfront Mosman mansion. About 350 properties have been leased for the HomeStay.
The average HomeHost price is $2,500 to $3,500 a week, which allows a visiting family to stay with a local family. The average average price for HomeStay is about $3,500 to $4,000 a week.
The principal of Ray White, Sam White, said up to 600 more HomeHost families were needed. He said average homeowners could expect returns of up $4,000 a week, less 15 per cent commission and a $175 registration fee.
On top of the hefty Games prices, the newly implemented GST must also be paid.
© 1999 Sydney Morning Herald
