| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
|
| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
|
| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
|
|
|
|
Hotel rates take Olympic-size leap
Few rooms left as opening rites near
The following correction was published in the Monday, Feb. 11 Deseret News: The Microtel Inn and Suites near the Salt Lake City International Airport is charging $1,350 for the three-night stay. A story in Friday's Deseret News incorrectly reported the length of stay for the price.
By Lynn Arave
Deseret News staff writer
What's the highest price being charged for lodging during the Olympic Games?
How about $1,350 a day at the Microtel Inn and Suites near Salt Lake City International Airport, or $950 a night at the Silver King Hotel in Park City?
Those are the highest prices per day found in a Thursday afternoon survey across the Wasatch Front, but that just includes hotels where there are rooms left. Most of the downtown hotels were booked 18 months ago. The Grand America, Salt Lake's only five-star hotel, could be even more expensive for some rooms. However, the hotel declined to provide prices.
Chalets or condominiums aren't much cheaper either, given the extra space.
Snowflower Condos in Summit County are going for $1,050 to $2,500 a night, and chalets at Brighton Ski Resort are renting for $235 to $1,180 a night.
What's the most inexpensive place to stay?
Jason Mathis, director of communications for the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau, said a Motel 6 in Salt Lake City was charging $75 a night, and that's the cheapest he'd heard of. Most of the other Motel 6's across the Wasatch Front are sold out and were charging more than that.
For example, Ogden's Motel 6 is charging $109.99 a room and is sold out. Even the Econo Lodge on North Temple has a price of $125 a night, about double its usual rate.
Hostels in Salt Lake City are also booked up and declined to provide any of the their prices, citing an exclusive agreement with a big customer. However, the "Base Camp" Hostel in Park City is still advertising a few openings on its Web site. Prices are $75 per bed or $250 per private room..
"There aren't many rooms left in Salt Lake," Mathis said.
Of the 30,000 accommodations available within 90 minutes of Salt Lake City, just less than 400 remain.
He said $3,000 a night for some homes at Deer Valley comprise the most expensive lodging of which he's aware.
Mathis said there's no doubt some gouging is going on and that's why he encouraged hotels to be reasonable, though some of the rooms that remain are overpriced for what they offer and that's why they're left.
"Salt Lake is a fairly inexpensive destination," he said, explaining that even with prices twice as high as usual for the Olympics, that only means the rates are comparable with normal rates in New York. Thus, he believes many out-of-state visitors won't raise an eyebrow about the prices here.
He expects Salt Lake County hotels to bring in $60 million this month, compared with $27 million in February 2001.
Shilo Downtown Hotel is booked up and was charging $237 a night, one of the lowest medium values. Hampton Inn in Layton still has a few rooms left, but prices are $350 to $425 a night.
How far away are visitors staying overnight? Brigham City and Tremonton report a substantial number of visitors overnight. So does Logan. Prices at one Logan motel that were $59 last week have about doubled to $109. Logan and Tremonton still have rooms available. However, Sherwood Hills was sold out long ago through SLOC.
Even Evanston and Wendover are housing Olympic visitors and southward, they go at least as far as Nephi. The Econo Lodge in Nephi is sold out through Feb. 21 and is charging $94 to $109 per night. Wendover rooms sell for $95 and up, and Evanston Hotels are charging $78 and up, though some are sold out this weekend.
Those seeking accommodations for the Salt Lake area during the Olympics should go online to: www.saltlake2002.com
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com
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February 8, 2002
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