Ahmedabad, March 7 Hotel room rates in Ahmedabad have surged in anticipation of the India-New Zealand T20 World Cup final, with rates increasing by as much as 300 to 400 percent, an industry representative said on Sunday.
The high-profile match is scheduled to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in the city on Sunday.
Narendra Somani, a hotelier and president of the Hotels and Restaurants Association of Gujarat, said that room rates, which were previously around Rs 15,000, have increased due to the arrival of cricket fans from across India and abroad for the match.
"There has been a 300 to 400 percent increase in room tariffs due to the high demand in anticipation of the T20 WC final. Rooms that were available for Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 now have rates between Rs 15,000 and Rs 50,000," he said.
Online listings also show a sharp increase in tariffs at several prominent hotels in the city ahead of the final.
A "Deluxe Room" for two at Taj Skyline on Sindhu Bhavan Road has already increased to Rs 2.01 lakh, plus Rs 36,000 GST, for Sunday night, according to a leading travel portal. On normal days, the room rent typically ranges between Rs 9,000 and Rs 15,000, representing a nearly 20-fold increase.
Similarly, room tariffs at Welcomhotel by ITC Hotels on Ashram Road are currently showing around Rs 20,950 on the portal, significantly higher than its usual range of Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000.
At Hyatt Regency Ahmedabad, rooms are priced around Rs 30,000 for the match night, nearly four times the standard fare charged on other days.
Considering all categories of accommodation, Somani said that Ahmedabad has around 10,000 hotel rooms. He said that occupancy levels are expected to be high due to the match, though not completely sold out.
"We expect that all the hotels in and around the city will see nearly 80 percent occupancy on Sunday due to the match," he said.
With hotel prices climbing sharply, many visitors are opting for alternative arrangements instead of staying overnight in the city.
Somani said that some people choose to stay in Gandhinagar, which is located about 25 km from Ahmedabad. A significant number of fans are also travelling to the city only for the match and returning the same day, he said.
"What many people do, especially those from Bombay, is they leave in the morning by road. They arrive here by four or five o'clock and go straight to the match. They bring a driver and leave at night," Somani said.
Visitors from other parts of Gujarat are following a similar pattern. "They do the same thing; they come in their car and leave in their car. Let's say, from Rajkot or Porbandar," Somani said.
Apart from domestic travelers, foreign visitors are also arriving in the city for the match, he added.
