Vancouver hotels warned not to overcharge during Olympics

(CBC) - One of the first hotel-flight packages for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics is charging about $1,400 a night for a room that usually costs $289 during the height of the summer season.

Regina-based Dash Tours has started selling hotel and flight packages for the 2010 Olympics. Its platinum package costs $25,999.

That includes a round-trip flight to Vancouver from anywhere in Canada or the U.S., a limo ride from the airport, 18 nights at the Delta Vancouver Suites Hotel and a reception.

But it does not include tickets to Olympic events.

"That does sound like a lot. That seems like they might be getting out in front of themselves a little bit," said Tourism Vancouver's Dave Gazley, noting that Olympic cities often get too aggressive in their hotel pricing.

"That has happened in some previous Olympic destinations, that there's a short-term mentality by some of those in the accommodations community."

Gazley said February is a quiet time for tourism in Vancouver, and that the Olympics will provide business for hotels that normally wouldn't be there.

"We're looking at our hotels to look at it from that point of view, and we're hoping that they'll hold to that and provide fair pricing over those days and certainly not do what some past Olympic cities have made the mistake in doing and that's being a little pricey on those rooms."

Gazley said Tourism Vancouver hopes people coming the Olympics will fall in love with the city and come back. But for that to happen, he said they'll have to feel they're getting good value for their money.

Vancouver 2010 will launch a spectator accommodation program in 2008 that will encourage hotels to keep rates reasonable. But in the end, hotels and tour companies are free to charge whatever the market will bear.

© the CBC, 2006