Call the day after the race to the local hotels? How hard is it to find a decent place to stay? How soon can you reserve a room?
YES! let’s hear from some vets as to where to stay, where NOT to stay…lodging in a small town seems to me like big hit or huge miss…
Email Anne Couser and she will set you up.
She has a side business negotiating house rentals for Ironman for locals, usually about 20 homes to choose from. The good ones are gone within a few days to a week so get to her now and get on her list. I used her in 2005 and tried to use her this year too. The place fell through because the owner decided to sell it and there were no places close by left.
I scored a place by calling someone who posted their place for the previous year on the mile141.com forum and asked if they were renting again for this year. They were but the place was too small. I asked her to send my contact info to any friends who were thinking about renting their house for IM. Two weeks later I had a place in the Fort Grounds, three blocks from the expo for $2500 for the week (3 bedroom place). Major score because most in there are going for $4000 and up.
Tell Anne that Dave Stark sent you, she’ll treat you right.
Check out www.vrbo.com - and look at Coeur D’Alene ID or surrounding locations. That’s how we wound up with two great houses in 2005. Also - many of the ‘rental houses’ are usually done through the local realtors…
vrbo = vacation rentals by owner. great site.
good luck!
I am heading out tomorrow to CDA. Staying at the Shiloh Inn, about 20 mins. from the CDA resort. It looks pretty nice online, kitchens, wireless, etc. I didn’t book my room until December and they still had rooms then. Can let you know more tomorrow when I get to see it in person.
I stayed at the Best Western CDA Inn in 2004 right along I-90 just outside of town, I liked it because there was an Albertson’s supermarket across the street as well as a good Italian restaurant nearby (can’t remember the name but it was packed the day before the race). I don’t remember what the room rate was but it was affordable. I called about a good month or so after signing up for the race and got a room no problem. I think where CDA takes longer to sell out than the other IMNA races that there isn’t the immediate rush on hotel rooms either.