Boy is lodging getting expensive!

[141987]

"... the request to be able to use this space should always be regarded as a seldom used privilege, rather than a less expensive way to cross the country!"...+1 on that.

I was in New Brunswick in June. Tent ground in a Provincial Park was $25 CDN per night and a lighted, unheated, cabin in the same park was $40. Cabin requires you to use your own bedding and sleeps at least three, probably even as many as six.

The University of New Brunswick also rents out residence rooms during the summer at $40CDN per night including breakfast, a private room, bedding and a campus parking pass. I haven't checked, but I imagine other Universities do the same. Anyone can stay there...you do not need to be an alumni.

 

[jeffkruger]

I typically spend several weeks a year road tripping on my bike. When staying in motels/hotels I have come to rely on services like Priceline and Hotwire. There are ways to game Priceline a bit and bid more than once per day per star rating and websites that help you do just that as well as typically figure out which hotel you're actually bidding on. I usually start trying Priceline and if there isn't something available, or nothing I like the sounds of I try Hotwire. Websites like bidding for travel and better bidding have lists of what hotels are in each town in the various star ratings.

Since these sites don't offer any refunds once you've actually booked I tend to book a room a night ahead. It does require a bit of planning and knowing where you will end up the next day. When I'm stopped for the night I will book something for the next night. Before leaving on the trip I usually do a little research and make a list of possible hotels and price ranges.

I have been amazed at some of the deals I have been able to get. I have stayed at some amazing hotels, like the Peabody in Memphis very inexpensively. I can usually get a nicer room than I would pay in any given area using rack rates or rates available on the web. When I rode the Great River Road a couple of years ago I wanted to stay in a couple of metro areas like Memphis and St. Louis and I wanted a 4 star room in the downtown areas. I paid less than $100 to stay in the Peabody in Memphis and the Hyatt Regency at the arch in St. Louis. A motel 6 or something similar would have literally been the same or more.

If you're willing to spend a little time at it, I think it's a worthwhile way to go.

 

[Omega Man]

I'm amazed at how high the Local Lodging tax has become in some areas!

In Helen Ga. this past June the lodging tax was 15%

Checking with Canaan Valley WV's State Park resort I'm told 12% + $9.00 resort fee.

These locally imposed fee's seem to be growing unchecked.

I know I'm looking at them and they will impact where I travel.

jason

Air B&B says yeah, come on, we (you) want to pay the tax

https://www.boston.com/news/business/2016/07/28/airbnb-takes-boston-airwaves-ask-taxed

Which makes me ponder the same question that I with UBER........What is your insurance company going to say when something happens in the atmosphere that is now commercial....with residential/private policies?

OM

 

[dabubba]

If you are traveling east to west or west to east pop over the northern border and travel across Canada. They have an abundance of very nice provincial parks which normally charge around $15-18 a night . . . Canadian. They are all normally well maintained. Most do have a curfew and lock the gates at 10p.

 

[22600]

I have been unsuccessful using AB for camping

I'm still curious to see if a significant amount of peeps out there are successfully using the AB for low/no cost camping? I mean...isn't that what it's supposed to be able to offer?

I'm sort of playing a hunch here in that I don't think folks are utilizing the AB book for this feature. I know peeps offer it up, but is it being put into practice? Seems like this is a fantastic benefit in that the camper can stay in a trust worthy place economically, and the host get to meet new fellow riders....to me, half the fun is getting to meet and know new friends....

I have been a member for many years and traveled by MC all over the world and say truthfully that I have not been successful at getting any member to let me camp on their property. Each time I tried they told me, "no way" "are you kidding" "not by a long shot" but "you can stay in one of our bedrooms and wash up, dinner will be ready soon." (Or something along those lines)
Most BMW riders in our membership are a great bunch and I thank you all.
dwb22600

 

[JDOCKERY132445]

Coupons

I have had great luck with those coupons you find at Welcome Centers. A room on the each in Daytona 4th of July...$29.99. A great room in flagstaff for $39.95.

 

[BC1100S]

What gets my goat is "event pricing".

I'm going to Monterey California for the World Superbike races in July. A room today at a Best Western Plus costs $129.00/night. Same room during the event - $392.00 - almost exactly a 300% increase. Other chains display the same sort of greed.

 

[gsjay]

What gets my goat is "event pricing".

I'm going to Monterey California for the World Superbike races in July. A room today at a Best Western Plus costs $129.00/night. Same room during the event - $392.00. Other chains display the same sort of greed.

Don't go.........
If enough join you prices will come down.
This is what's happened to Nascar. It's gotten to expensive to go for the event weekend.
jason

 

[pglaves]

Don't go.........
If enough join you prices will come down.
This is what's happened to Nascar. It's gotten to expensive to go for the event weekend.
jason

 

[powwow]

I've had very good luck with AirBnB. Rooms typically run $30-$40 a night in places where hotel rates are $120-$150. The mobile app is easy to use and it will find facilities based on your geographic location (or you can type in a location). You can read reviews, determine what you're getting and communicate with the owner. It's nice to meet the innkeeper, who typically has lots of local knowledge.

I'm staying at a beautiful Victorian home during the National in SLC which is about a mile from the fairgrounds. Great reviews, have communicated with the owner and paid $40/night.

I was hesitant to try AirBnB, but after much success I no longer have any concerns. YEMV.

 

[71243]

Don't go.........
If enough join you prices will come down.
This is what's happened to Nascar. It's gotten to expensive to go for the event weekend.
jason

Same thing happened at Mid-Ohio...I attended every year since S/Bike started in 83 , and every year of V/days starting 95 [I think]....yeah OK there always was a slight 'bump' in room rates. But...around 2012 they just started skyrocketing ! $100-120 rooms were suddenly $250-300, cheap rooms were not much lower on event weekends. AND new owners at the track doubled gate prices ta-boot.

Good-ol' American greed I guess?

 

[akbeemer]

Towns with big time college football teams can see huge hikes on game weekends. I was in Tallahassee, home of Florida State University, for a month last fall. Stayed in a Hilton for $125/nite, government rate. On game weekends the rates on Friday and Saturday went to over $400. Some hotels went to $600 and were booked solid. Needless to say, I moved to a motel 15 miles out of town on those days.

 

[Omega Man]

Don't go.........
If enough join you prices will come down.

I don't know if this is exactly true. While the car sharing call it "surge pricing", some call it "what the traffic will bear" and to some it's a "sellers market". If things did come down or were going to come down, IMO, it would be nowhere as fast as they rose. No matter what "occupancy" is, the overhead of taxes et el need to be paid.

This is what's happened to Nascar. It's gotten to expensive to go for the event weekend.
jason

Not sure it's entirely that. No doubt it became a very expensive weekend. I saw it more as NASCAR was in a cycle.
OM

 

[pglaves]

As long as "we" (whomever that we may be) are stupid enough to just shrug and pay they will keep it up. As soon as we stop caving to the gouging it will get better. I fully understand the concept of supply and demand, but gouging is gouging and if you think economics excuses bad behavior, may God have mercy on your soul. Screwing people is never justified.

 

[Omega Man]

I usually go by my economics. If it isn't a value to me, I pass.
OM

 

[akbeemer]

We decided to go to SLC once we got a room for under $120. It will require riding about five miles, but better than camping in the anticipated temperatures.

 

[akbeemer]

We've only been to two previous MOA rallys. We enjoyed both and went to these specific events in large part because they were west of the Mississippi and many of our friends from Alaska, Canada and other locals planned to attend. These same conditions are leading us to attend SLC, but I too am skeptical of the wisdom of holding the rally there.

We are poor pensioners as well, but since we decided to take on helping with the care of our grandchildren our ability to take lengthy trips is somewhat curtailed, so there is more money available for luxury accommodations.

 

[DARKCLOUD]

Motel strategy

You have to negotiate. Most motel rooms are rented by companies, corporations, etc. They get the rooms at great rates.

You get off the road around six or 7 pm and stop at motel, ask how many rooms are available. Their bread and butter trade is already there company excs, construction workers, people that have reserved rooms in advance. Ask how many rooms they have available. If they have a bunch of rooms open tell them you are on the road, won't be using the swimming pool, weight room, and you'll be gone long before breakfast. What do they have? Let them know your willing to pay a fair price for a clean room. Do they have anything like that? Ask for discounts. If they don't ask them to refer you to a motel like what you are looking for. If nothing works out politely thank them and leave. Don't screw it up for the next guy. BMWMOA discount, never found a motel that had even heard of it.

 

[Omega Man]

For your consideration,
I doubt the rally will "suck"- especially for those that haven't been in the past. For many, this includes myself, rally's, trade shows, RV expositions and even yearly seminars develop a "rhythm" and as the "rhythm" changes or evolves it loses its appeal to those that were regular attendees.
The "rhythm" or "feel" of the event can be changed by many factors including location, management, content, weather and even changing demographics.
Good luck to all those who do make it to SLC. It is a place that seems to have as much to offer as past locations and gives the "Left Coasters" a better chance of seeing what a rally is like. No one is putting on an event for me. Events are put on to attract the largest cross-section of the target audience.
OM

 

[36654]

Towns with big time college football teams can see huge hikes on game weekends. I was in Tallahassee, home of Florida State University, for a month last fall. Stayed in a Hilton for $125/nite, government rate. On game weekends the rates on Friday and Saturday went to over $400. Some hotels went to $600 and were booked solid. Needless to say, I moved to a motel 15 miles out of town on those days.

Doak Campbell (FSU) stadium holds 79,500. When you move up to the Big 10 schools, you add another 25 to 30,000 seats. It's event rates and two-nite minimums for hotels several counties away......