Hotels: Finding Hotel Accommodations for the Olympic Winter Games — Ultimate Guide to PyeongChang 2018
Finding reasonably priced hotel accommodations for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games is the single largest challenge faced by fans, travel and meeting planners looking to attend the Olympics. Lodging scarcity is unique to PyeongChang 2018, where in previous Winter Games finding event tickets has always been the biggest dilemma.
Here’s a few of the reasons why hotel room availability is such a big issue:
• The PyeongChang and Gangneung regions, where the Olympic Games are happening, do not have many international hotel chain brands like Hilton, Marriott, or Starwood (but they are in Seoul). The two hotels located within the Olympic areas are the Alpensia Intercontinental and Alpensia Holiday Inn which have been committed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and are not available to fans or planners.
• Back in July, 2011 when the Olympic Winter Games were awarded to PyeongChang, many of the hospitality providers including Jet Set Sports, Bucket List Events, Fandeavor, and others, scooped up available room inventory so they can be sold to corporations and fans at significant price premiums as part of “packages” which include hospitality events, local tours, and in some cases, event tickets.
• Unfortunately, several of the hotels that were promised to be built as part of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic bid, are not ready and may not be ready by the games times leaving less options than expected.
• Staying in Seoul and commuting to the Olympics is impractical if you are going to attend more than 1 or 2 events. There is a wealth of available hotels in that area but it is at least a 3-hour commute each way by train to reach the venues. That does not count include travel time to the train station in Seoul, time needed for clearing security, entering and finding your seat before competitions begin, etc.
• There have been reports of both price gouging, charging foreign visitors more than South Koreans, and hotels refusing to release individual rooms to visitors. This has led to the average price reaching as high as $460/night per room, 3X the normal peak season pricing, causing the South Korean government to crack down and seek refunds.
Still, there is hope for fans to find reasonably priced (<$200/night) accommodations for the Olympic Winter Games. Here are some key tips to help you score a room that meets your needs and budget for your trip.
Tip #1: Clearly identify where the events you are attending are located. Generally, the PyeongChang region is where the alpine events are and the city of Gangneung is where the Olympic Park and indoor events are located. (venue travel time guide). While the Gangneung venues are generally clustered together at the Olympic Park, take time to learn the PyeongChang region because this area is a state / region and not a town. If you do not take the time to learn the various locations, Alpensia, Daegwallyeong, Jeongseon, Bokwang Phoenix Park, and Yongpyong, you could wind up with a room that is almost two hours from the venue(s) you are planning to visit.
Tip #2: With few major chain hotels in the region, you will want to rely on aggregator sites like Orbitz, Booking.com, and AirBNB to find your accommodations. The PyeongChang 2018 Organizing Committee has been working closely with both Booking.com and AirBNB to get local inventory listed online. Historically, accommodations in South Korea have not had an online presence, relying on in person, phone calls, or travel agents to book. This means new options will continue to be added to these sites up until the Winter Games start.
Tip #3: Move quickly. If you see a hotel or resort that fits your budget, taste, and location — grab it, don’t wait. There have been instances where high-demand properties such as the Sun Rise Yacht Resort, Alpensia Holiday Inn and others have had brief availability on the sites listed above only to be sold out in hours. If you wait, you could miss out as inventory will be priced to sell as the games approach.
Tip #4: Be patient. The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Committee is working with local hotels and homeowners to make additional inventory available at reasonable prices. Most recently 17 large lodgings representing 4,900 rooms committed to making unsold inventory available to the public for reservations in January.
Tip #6: Check daily. Inventory is constantly being added and updated so keep checking until you secure your reservations.
In summary, stay aware, be alert and keep checking and hopefully you will find the right place to stay for your trip to the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games.
About Ken Hanscom
Ken Hanscom is a veteran-fan of the Olympic Games and the recognized expert in ticketing, corporate sponsorships, traveling to and experiencing the Olympic Games. In his role as COO at InviteManager, during Rio 2016, Ken worked directly with the United States Olympic Committee, NBC Universal, Anheuser Busch, & Cartan Tours the authorized ticket reseller for 23 countries across the globe on their ticketing & corporate hospitality programs. While in Rio, Ken attended 30 events while guest blogging for the International Business Times, writing for USA Today, The Post Game, and appearing on ESPN Radio. For more information and interviews with Ken on the Olympics and the upcoming PyeongChang 2018 games, connect via Twitter or directly at kenh@invitemanger.com
