Feature: London Olympics 2012
Henley and the Farnborough Airshow. In 2012, there is one extra: events between May and July specifically for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, not forgetting the Paralympics from August 29 to September 9. Getting hotel accommodation and what
you’ll pay for it is what’s taxing the minds of many corporates. Very little is left as LOCOG (The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) has an allocation of roughly 65 per cent of the available room inventory in each of 260 hotels in London, representing around 50,000 rooms of London’s total 100,000-plus stock. The prices for these rooms are set under a
Fair Pricing & Practice Charter. However, the remaining 35 per cent are not and corporates will have to fight for rooms at whatever price hoteliers wish to sell them at. It was originally this month in January that LOCOG was to either release some of their 65 per cent allocation – unlikely according to experts – or take more but this announcement could be as late as March now. Only then will hotel suppliers be able to set
In London, it’s Earls Court, Hyde Park, Lords Cricket Ground, Greenwich Park, the 02 Arena, Horseguards Parade, ExCel Centre and Woolwich Arsenal, plus, at the centre of all the action, the Olympic Park itself. It will be bad enough for normal London traffic having to cope without one lane designated for Olympic traffic, but imagine when the roads around Hyde Park are closed off entirely for the cycling or marathons. Some 68,000 London resident parking permits are being rescinded too. Transport for London has likened the Olympics and Paralympic Games to hosting the FA Cup Final, Wimbledon, concerts across the capital and the London Marathon all on the same day, every day, but over several weeks. On top of that, the summer season is always
a busy time in London as the corporate entertainment circus gets underway, with the likes of Royal Ascot, Wimbledon, The Proms,
ACTION PLANS
Portman has a four-step action plan for clients: 1. Book as normal within a few weeks of requirement in line with our ‘wait and see’ policy. This tack risks no availability and higher prices but the advantage is that payment doesn’t have to be made months in advance of the stay.
2. Book on the periphery of London, but if business is in central London, there is still the issue of joining the extra 800,000-plus people milling around the city and travelling from A to B.
3. Clients could book in advance, giving peace of mind that the accommodation is secured but this will be at a price with restrictions.
Hotels pictured above: Corinthia London, W Hotel Leicester Square, 45 Park Lane; Pictured opposite: the Savoy
4. Issue a travel ban during the Olympics period if your company doesn’t need to travel to deliver its service and not miss opportunities. If not, companies should plan an alternative solution now, and do business outside London or arrange meetings for the months preceding and following the Games.
Expotel has undertaken a similar exercise for its clients and its action plan is split into three phases: 1. Understand business-critical demand, discuss alternative locations outside London in order to secure lower rates, change dates or incentivise employees to offer guest accommodation in their home for colleagues.
2. Create a Games period strategy, possibly mandate essential travel and business-critical meetings over the period, revise travel policy, suggest alternatives such as videoconferencing.
3. Budget for potential deposits that may be required by hoteliers, ensure diligence on venue contracts to avoid unnecessary cancellation liability costs, conduct risk assessments for larger events that cannot be avoided, and compile a safety for travellers communication to make employees aware of potential security risks.
rates for the summer months. Hike them too high and visitors will stay away, as they did at the Athens and Vancouver Games, when there was availability late on. ETOA (European Tour Operators Association) reports London will experience a 95 per cent leisure bookings slump during the Games, which will ameliorate the situation. The advice from Johan Persson, vice president account management at TMC Portman Travel, is to wait and see. “Rates at the moment are around 30 per cent higher than normal with prohibitive conditions attached, such as minimum five-night stays and a no refund or cancellation policy; it therefore makes sense to wait and see if this is relaxed closer to the Games. We anticipate that rates may well go down nearer the time,” says Persson. HRG's Windsor concurs. “It’s silly season,
with rates of £350 to £450 for a standard room, so we’ll wait,” he says. Hotel booking agent Hotelscene reckons
72 I THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 18 I THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE
© LONDON 2012
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