Travel Articles

Going to the Olympics and seeing the world’s best athletes compete for the glory of their country is a truly fantastic experience. The Olympic Games encompass the very best of our human nature. The 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver Canada promise to be an epic spectacle. Vancouver is a great host city with all the facilities and amenities for athletes and spectators alike, except for one thing: places to stay.

Eighty percent of Vancouver hotels are already booked by the Vancouver Organizing Committee and hotels are reserving the remainder for preferred clients and tour operators. Since the city is expecting over 350,000 people to arrive for the games, there will be lots of folks looking for a place to stay and lots of competition for each availability.

The city is allowing private residences to be rented out entirely or for individual rooms to be rented to make up for the lack of hotel space. This is your best option if you have not yet reserved a room.

To find Olympic lodging that fit your needs, you will need to confirm how many people will be in your party, type of accommodation you would like to stay at and number of bedrooms you will need. Economies of scale play a big role here, for example, for a big group of say 10 people, it might make sense to rent a bigger house rather than separate apartments. This can be 3-4 times less expensive than individual condos.

Determining sleeping arrangements (type of beds and how many) is very important as well. Some travelers will need separate beds, for example if it is a group of singles, others will require queen of king beds for couples. Also decide on the minimum number of bathrooms needed in their Olympic rental. It is especially important to consider for larger groups, after all, nobody wants to spend hours in the lineup.

Based on your preferences and budget, you will need to decide on the ‘category’ of accommodation for your 2010 Olympic stay. Vancouver offers a wide range of private rentals for Olympics starting from luxurious executive type mansions to very affordable single occupancy rooms in private homes.

Depending on which 2010 events you will be attending, identify the part of town where you would like to stay. Obviously, the most desirable location and therefore the most expensive is Downtown Vancouver. However, if you are willing to travel a little bit it will save you considerable money. One of the best tools to estimate location of your rental is to Google the address of your Olympic rental and of the 2010 venue you will be attending; this will give you distance and time by car. Then I recommend using ‘Public Transit’ button to see if there is good public transportation in the area. Another great way to check out public transit options is www.translink.ca.

Most of the private 2010 rentals have minimum stay requirements and because same accommodation can be rented out to several different groups (for different dates obviously), it is very important to know precisely your arrival and departure dates.

There are two ways to find 2010 accommodations: renting straight from an owner or through a licensed accommodation rental agency. It is highly recommended that you work through a licensed rental agency because of the high cost of rooms during the 2010 Olympic rentals period and the possibility of scams.

The average rate for a room is currently $500 per night in Downtown Vancouver so it is well worth working through a rental agency even if it costs a little more. That great deal from a private owner may turn out to be not so great if you show up and find that the same room has been rented to several people, or the accommodation look nothing like what you’ve seen on the photos or in the description. With a licensed rental agency you can be confident that when you arrive, your 2010 Olympic rental will be just what you expected. If you decide to book through an agency, ask if they personally verify the ownership of rental property, and confirm all the details. Check if this agency has a contract with the owner, so that the owner is contractually obligated to keep the accommodation reserved for you.  Most importantly, ask were the reservation deposit going. Make sure that the agency is licensed; such agencies are required to put deposits in trust (or escrow) accounts, therefore protecting you, the renter, that the owner is not going to just take your money, sell the place and leave. Since all rentals will require a large deposit (up to 50%) in advance it would be crazy not to go through a licensed reputable agency.

Finding the right 2010 accommodations will be a bit of work, but will be well worth the effort when you are there to witness the spectacle of the games firsthand. The world will be watching the events unfold in British Columbia, but watching on television is no substitute for experiencing it all in person.

So do not delay. If you have always wanted to see the Olympic Games, this is the perfect opportunity. 2010 Olympic rentals are going fast but there are still plenty of rooms available if you get connected with a reputable licensed rental agency. Then prepare yourself for the experience of a lifetime as the nations of the world come together in peace to compete in the ancient tradition of the Olympic Games. You don’t want to miss it!

To get more information on private rentals for 2010 Olympics in Vancouver visit http://www.goldencityrentals.com. You will find how much local home owners are charging for private accommodations during Vancouver 2010 Olympics and what type of rental accommodations are available. You can list your property for 2010 Olympics or rent one if you wish.