Regarding Post Falls, ID, local government request for reimbursement for overtime expenses, Post Falls News Paper last June.
Ironman won’t be paying for the reimbursement itself.
It will receive some assistance from the Coeur d’Alene Chamber and likely the Post Falls Chamber. Under a rebate agreement between the Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls chambers through 2007, participating hotels that inflate their rates during the event would give $5 each per room per night to Ironman and the chambers.
The chambers then pass on those funds to the city to defer costs it incurs during the event.
see for example the nice practice of the resort in CDA that has a ‘special deal’ for triathletes, phrased in such a way that you think $369 is for 5 nights…no freakin way…it per night! what a freakin rip off!
they told me it’s not refundable after I did make the resa (and my wife being injured, she isn’t racing, and we wouldn’t stay there anyway)…
and the funny thing is that they hadn’t processed my request when someone told me it was a price per night! fuckin’ crooks!
While I used to think an M-dot race would be great to do, now I simply think they’re a huge amount of money that’s pricing out middle income people. I hope races like CHesapeakeMan stay around for a while. I can do that race for a total of $500, including, gas, food, race fee, and hotel. IMLP was going to cost me $1200. I’m sure there’s cheaper ways to do M-dot races, but I don’t feel like shackin’ up with 5 people or sleeping in a tent or driving two hours to get to the start line. Anyway, they’ll get it while they can. Sooner or later you rich fu*ks have to tire of this sport and the prices will come back to a reasonable level.
Sooner or later you rich fu*ks have to tire of this sport and the prices will come back to a reasonable level.
So now it’s "rich fuks" fault prices are high at IM races? I suppose you think if rich fuks get tired of buying BMWs the prices will come down on those too. If people stop paying to race, prices won’t come down, there will be fewer races.
And just what annual income qualifies someone as a “rich fu*k?”
you can find nice hotels for $74…besides, it’s supposed to be a ‘special deal’ .if you think $369 is acceptable good for you…for info, for 600 euros, you can get a room at the Carlton in Nice…for a full week…
I maintain: a freakin rip off
You should try a local hotel during the Super Bowl!! The NFL states that all local hotels can hike rates 2.5 times without it conidering a “gouging”. BTW - my rates for the Super Bowl were 349 to 449 per night at our B&B and I was on the cheap side. Some locals had rates as high as 550 per night with a 5 night minimum and a 50% non-refundable deposit.
ANYTIME you have a large sporting event in the area like a Super Bowl, World Series, IM, etc rates WILL be higher. Even in little Clermont, Florida for some of the tri races there I’ve seen rates go up and a minimum 2 night stay required.
I think you might want to leave New Zealand off your list.
After IMNZ moved from Auckland to Taupo, and the deal with Taupo was about to finish, IMNZ (or was it IMG?) managed to get the Town of Taupo to cough up $60,000 (per year) to keep the event in Taupo (rather than having it move to Queenstown in the South Island) Over the years I think that amount is now up to about $100k per year.
I have no written proof etc, but everyone here in NZ seems to agree on the above. It could all be a modern urban myth of course, but to the best of my knowledge it’s at least basaed in fact.
IMHO Taupo is one of the best possible locations in NZ for an M-Dot race. The town itself (the Taupo Council) is excellent and has organized a myriad of events for their town year round, to boost the hotel and motel occupancy rate throughout the year. This has resulted in steady but continued growth without a boom and without the town losing it’s small town charm. Too bad IMNZ and or IMG has managed to gouge the town for cash, particularly when they are such and event oriented town and everyone seems to bend over backwards for pretty much any event. I guess the almighty dollar reigns supreme.
You have to remember these are prices at the “resort” which are never cheap to begin with. There are plenty of lower cost hotels available if you book early enough.
At IMF 2003 the “special” rate at the host hotel was somewhere around $145 per night with a five night minimum. A mile down the road the Holiday Inn Sunspree (which is a nicer hotel than the host one) had a rate of about $79 per night with no minimum. I’ve found it best to never book through the race website or use the host hotel, anywhere.
It’s true. I talked to the owners of Cascades in Taupo when I was there. He raised it in conversation, and yes, they had to chip in, as I remember, about 10 to 20k to help pay IMG.
I am currently checking in to rates for the 2005 IMFL and wanted to support the businesses that support the race. After checking in to it, the hotels associated with the race charge more than their normal seasonal rates and require a 5 night minimum. Now, I’m not so certain I feel like supporting those who are putting the stone to us.
It’s the same, or was the same for IM OZ. They had a 5 night stay minimum to stay in Forster when I last did that race. So I stayed at a carvan park in a unit 10k out of town for 4 nights at a way reduced rate. it’s one reason I’m not sad the race has moved, but the same regime will no doubt continue to be in place. It’s a crock.
Well, when it comes to events in Taupo I have it sussed.
I stay at the Taupo Motor Camp (Campground) it’s right behind the finish line at the main Domain in town. It’s incredibly handy to everything, it’s very cheap compared to a motel of any kind (especially any that are close to the venue) and if you book early, you can get a nice cabin that suits a couple or a family. It also has a great atmosphere with all the athletes milling around as the come and go, or head to the toilets or cooking facilities.
I’m already booked for the next 2 years! I get there on the wednesday before the race, chill out for a few days, race like a demented fool, then hit the awards banquet, stumble across the road and rehydrate at the Irish Pub (or similar) and then stagger back to the campground and nurse my hangover all the way back to Auckland on the monday. Great way to spend a week of ones life.