Pricing Accommodation for 2010

I recently contacted a hotel in Cape Town's southern suburbs to find what kind of price they would charge for accommodation. In particular, I was interested in knowing what sort of prices they would charge during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Now, this was not an upmarket hotel at which I enquired by any means, but one that seemed to offer mid-priced accommodation in Newlands.

I was taken aback when they stated that the price would be R1195 per day... for the room only. Further, they told me that they had no accommodation available over the 2010 World Cup, as it had all been bought up for package deals.

It was then that I realised just how reasonable some of the small accommodation providers in the area were. Offering both bed and breakfast and self-catering options, these smaller providers offered more for a person's money. Most of them are set in idyllic settings, offering an intimate yet private place at which one can lay their head, and more. They offer something that no hotel can offer: a home away from home.

Many of these smaller accommodation establishments in Rondebosch, Newlands, Claremont, Kenilworth, and Bishops Court offer accommodation for less than half of what hotels offer! So why would anyone wish to stay anywhere else during their stay in Cape Town, whether it be for business, pleasure, or to follow their favourite World Cup soccer team.