"Stu Gotts" wrote in message
...
On 8 Sep 2003 23:39:21 -0600, (blanche cohen)
wrote:

David Megginson wrote:
To take another example, you have the only hotel at your airport --
what keeps you from raising the rates to, say, $500/night?

Absolutely nothing....take a look at the Oshkosh area during EAA.

Is it that bad? I would like to go again in 2004, but I'd rather eat
a worm (or fly a Piper) than camp out again. Any tips? I'd like to
make those reservations NOW!

It isn't cheap, but it isn't that bad. We paid $185/night for a two room
suite with frig and micro, 4 miles from show central. $150-$165 seemed to
be the going rate for a "normal" room that week.

We got the reservation about March when my wife decided we were going to
stay in a room this year and she started calling every hotel in the area.
After a week or two of trying, she hit paydirt.

Hints:

Call the hotels directly. Central reservation lines are useless. The
managers want to fill the place for the week and they don't want the call
center's help.

Start now, but you probably won't get a reservation. Ask if they have a
wait list. The die hards have already got their request in for next year.
We do. The hotel took ours when we were there. Hopefully, we'll get a
confirmation next month.

Keep trying. Plans change, people cancel. Try next month, and the
following... People have known to get a room just weeks before the show.

Gerry