It’s London’s turn to host the biggest sporting event on the planet and while there’s a lot to live up to after Beijing’s spectacular success four years ago, the signs so far suggest a vintage Olympic year is ahead.

Director Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony in particular - a celebration of British culture and its contribution to the world stage - is set to be spectacular: from Daniel Craig’s in-character appearance as James Bond, to hundreds of NHS nurses showing up, details are sporadically leaking through but exactly what’s going to happen is still tantalisingly unclear. Recent reports of the Queen dropping in by helicopter are to be taken with a pinch of salt, surely?

More certainly, the influx of Olympic visitors from across the globe will add to the already huge numbers of summer tourists that temporarily settle in the second most visited city on the planet, adding to the seasonal strain on London’s infrastructure and the city’s hospitality sector.

For most of these visitors, accommodation is fundamental but finding something comfortable, affordable and convenient isn’t going to be easy as the inundation of Olympic visitors coalesces with the huge number of traditional tourists.

If you are planning on staying in London in June, and still haven’t found somewhere to stay, here are three tips to help you find something fitting.

Investigate short-term lets

Hotels are the default choice for most tourists, but many savvy London citizens are renting their properties to visitors over the Olympic period - and this option can provide a more personal and homely experience than a room in a large hotel.

Finding one of these properties is more nuanced: in many cases you can find and contact property owners directly through informal adverts placed on listings sites like Gumtree and Craigslist but there are also agencies that act as middle-men between property owners and visitors to offer Olympic rentals, such as Hampton International.

Look further afield than London

It’s ideal to be located within easy reach of East London for the Olympic Park but many visitors - particularly visitors who’re not familiar with the area - may be unaware of the Olympic accommodation options outside London that still offer easy access in barely over an hour. And these options can be more affordable than premium-priced London counterparts.

Brighton, for example, offers a seaside situ on the south coast, a vibrant local culture and access to central London within under an hour on the fastest rail connections. And plenty of rooms are guaranteed to be available - some with a sea view.

Check halls of residence

Many universities rent out rooms in halls of residence out of term, which is convenient: most students will have left to go home as the Olympics arrives in town.

Arguably this option is more of a last resort, or one for bargain-seeking visitors travelling in small numbers, but it’s definitely worth investigating: halls of residence rooms aren’t as stereotypically stark as is often imagined and, when compared with dingy rooms in last-minute budget hotels, they can be comparatively luxurious.

It’s almost certain that the 2012 Olympics is going to be great, but finding Olympic accommodation is a less certain affair. If you haven’t found anything yet then complementing your search by acting on the advice and information offered should help you find a place to rest your head within easy reach of the action.

Source: Independent
Tags: ACCOMMODATION | FLATS | HOUSES

The London Olympics Games has triggered an unforeseen glut of new hotel openings, and a question hangs over how this might impact on the city’s hospitality scene.

The British Hospitality Association (BHA), a UK-based association of hospitality companies, has reported the opening of 61 new properties in 2012 in the Greater London area, compared to the opening of 28 properties with 6,800 rooms in 2011. Some of the properties opened in 2011 were re-openings, including the re-branding of existing hotels by Mercure and Doubletree by Hilton, while newly constructed hotels include 1,054 rooms from Premier Inn, and 919 rooms from the Travelodge Group.

The 2012 Olympics is also expected to improve the economy of eastern London areas, including Stratford, where most of the venues are located.

The new hotels scheduled to open in London vary from luxury brands like the Bulgari Knightsbridge, to new names like the ME London, along with 21 Travelodge properties, and a total of 12 hotels from the Premier Inn and Holiday Inn brands.

While hotel managers believe that there will be excess capacity immediately after the closing of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, the general consensus is that prices may not fall much, as London will still remain an attractive travel destination, and hotel rooms will continue to remain in demand.

Robert Flinter, general manager of Apex City of London Hotel, said in an interview, ‘The feeling is that next year London won’t suffer the same post-Olympic slump that other cities did because it is so accessible.’

Stuart Johnson, manager of Mayfair’s Brown’s Hotel, also supported the theory, and said in an interview, ‘Clients want value for money, but they also want the quality and the service in line with the business they are doing.’

Source: Travel News
Tags: HOTELS | ROOMS