ODI WC 2023: Ahmedabad hotel room prices soar to up to Rs 1 lakh ahead of India vs Pakistan clash on Oct 15

With fewer than 100 days left for the much-awaited 2023 Cricket World Cup, hotel room rates have sykrocketed across key locations like Ahmedabad, which is set to host the opener, finals and the much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan.

"With the schedule coming out just a few days ago, the renowned properties in Ahmedabad have witnessed a surge in bookings with almost 70 per cent of the city’s inventory booked for 15th October," Nikhil Sharma, market managing director, Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, told Business Today.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday announced the schedule for the 2023 Men’s World Cup. The cricket governing body said that India and Pakistan will go head-to-head at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15.

Following the announcement, room rentals in many cases have gone up to over 10 times, with some hotels even charging close to Rs 1 lakh, while many others are sold out. For instance, as per the hotel booking portal booking.com, the rent for one standard single room for July 4 is Rs 3,086 at Lemon Tree Hotel in Ahmedabad. But the same hotel will charge Rs 59,219 if one wants to stay for a day on October 15.

Meanwhile, rooms are not available for October 15 at ITC Narmada, Courtyard by Marriott, and others like Hyatt and Taj Skyline Ahmedabad, all five-star hotels in the city. Santosh Kumar, country manager, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Booking.com, said, currently, a lot of the premium hotel segment is already sold out for these dates. "We expect additional demand to spillover into the middle hotel segment and alternative accommodations," he added.

"The thrill and excitement of watching India play live in-person is a compelling reason for cricket enthusiasts across the globe to travel. We are witnessing a surge in demand around the match dates in October in Ahmedabad as compared to the same time last year," Kumar stated.

As per a PTI report, Gujarat Hotels and Restaurants Association (HRA) officials said the hotel rates in Ahmedabad have surged mostly due to the demand from NRIs and upper-middle-class cricket fans from all over the country.

“If the hoteliers think that the demand is very high for a particular period, they will try to make some revenue because they are assured that rooms will be full despite higher rates. Once the demand drops, the room rentals will also come down," HRA-Gujarat spokesperson Abhijeet Deshmukh said.

While luxury hotels have already been booked, budget hotels are also likely to see a surge during dates closer to the matches as middle-class cricket fans, who would prefer such places, will make a decision to come here or not for the match only at the last moment.

"The upcoming World Cup 2023 has already begun influencing the demand in terms of occupancies and room rates. Sporting events, alongside weddings, have recently emerged as a notable contributor to the hospitality sector," stated Sharma.  

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