Home› Community Forum 🏠

Choosing Lodging/Housing for events

Scott AlexanderScott Alexander
in Community Forum 🏠

I couldn't figure out how to work the survey/poll functionality of the forum, so I'll just ask my questions here.

 

1) What are your top 3 criteria when choosing lodging/housing when traveling to an event:

     a) Proximity to race site

     b) Proximity to food (ex, stores, restaurants)

     c) Ease in/out (ex, access to highways, public transportation)

     d) Miles/Points/Rewards programs

     e) Cost

     f) "Official" race/host facility

     g) Early check-in / Late check-out

     h) Amenities (ex, shuttle, breakfast included)

     i) other (please list)

2) Is there any difference in these criteria if the race is different lengths, from short/sprint, Oly/Intl, HIM or full IM?

3) is there any difference in these criteria if the event is training versus actually racing/competing?

4) How far would you travel for a:

     a) sprint

     b) Oly/Intl

     c) HIM

     d) Full IM

Thanks in advance for answering these. I'm evaluating a business opportunity (not competing with EN in any way, shape or form ) and need to use y'all for some research!

Comments

  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    Here's my 2 cents:

    1. Top 3 criteria for picking a hotel:
    1) Proximity to race
    2) Cost
    3) Amenities for my family
    2. No difference in criteria for varying race distances.
    3. No difference for training vs race
    4. Travel by race type:
    a) Sprint - I will generally not travel
    b) Oly - I have traveled up to 4 hours by car.
    c) HIM - I will travel by air in North America...may expand this to Europe in the future.
    d) IM - I will travel to North America, South America and Europe. Thinking about IM New Zealand some year.


  • mgraffeomgraffeo
    Scott,

    I look at proximity, cost, and whether or not I can use Hilton points (have a ton of them)

    Any difference based on length? Not really. IMLP was a huge exception, because there was crap for options that weren't $2000+, so I spent months looking for a house/condo to rent.

    I don't travel for training races.

    For a sprint, I usually won't travel unless I can stay somewhere for free

    Olympic: I travelled about 4 hours to Burlington VT, and I'd say that's pretty close to my limit.

    HIM: anywhere I could drive to, maybe 6-7 hours limit

    IM: I'd fly, though I haven't yet. Even considered doing a European IM, but probably won't for a few years at least.
  • Brad LoescherBrad Loescher

     Scott, not sure how reflective my answers may be of a broader group, but for me:

    #1:  My overall top 3 are: Proximity to race start (which is usually the host hotel), Amenities, and Proximity to food and supplies.  However, these are likely to change depending on the race site (driving, tropical destination, etc.).  For example, I will be driving up to Lake Placid with my dog so a pet friendly hotel becomes my number one factor.  If traveling to a nice destination with my family, I need to make sure my wife is very comfortable to replish the SAUs.

    #2:  No real change based on the distance to the race, other than I would not using lodging for a Sprint.

    #3.  If the event was only a training excercise, my factors would be: Cost, Amenities, and then Early check-in / Late check-out.

    #4.  For a Sprint race, I would probably not drive more than 2 hours.  Oly, for the right event, I would travel within the US.  HIM, Norh America, Europe, Central America.  Full IM, North America, Europe, Central America, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

    Hope this helps and good luck with the venture.

    Brad

  • Stephanie StevensStephanie Stevens
    For me: proximity, cost, amenities

    Travel distance: Sprint or Oly - local only. I would travel if I had another reason to travel - visiting friends, business meetings, etc.

    HIM: domestic USA

    IM: would consider international.
  • Gordon CherwoniakGordon Cherwoniak

    Scott,

    A little late on this one:

    1) Top 3 criteria

    i) Proximity to race site - This also depends who is coming. That is for IMC my 69 year old mother came and we got a place on the course and close to everything.  For Lake Placid we are 15 min walk from the start but it's just my wife and I.

    ii) Cost - Always a factor but willing to pay more on occasion to have a cabin/house. 

    iii) Amenities - I guess this is related to my point in number 2.  We are looking at a cabin on the lake because that's what my wife really likes and still have location to food, race check in etc.

    2)  Length of the race is not the only criteria for me it is about where I am travelling and how long.  For an IM if my wife comes we usually get a nice place or upgrade to a bed and breakfast or something after the race and stay for a few days to do things she will like.  For example at IMC we went to a B&B after and did a wine tour.  For Lake Placid this year we ahve the cabin so it will just be a couple days of relaxing after the race. 

     

    3) If training I will typically go alone so the criteria is devinitely about cost, proximity to food and ease in/out to get to training locations.

    4) 

    a)  Sprint - typically around home but there are not many so if I ever want to do lost I'd go about 2.5 hours.

    b) Oly similar to a with one exception I've consider a destination race in St Croix they have a short distance.

    c &d)  HIM and Full I'd travel pretty much anywhere but have kept it in North America because of holiday time restrictions.  If I travel some where farther I like to have at least 2 week to check the place out and give some time for the wife and I to do other things as well.  Also I have done IM every other year and we take just a vacation with no racing inbetween the race years.

    Hope that helps

    Gordon

     

Sign In or Register to comment.