Be Prepared for the Olympics

Hoteliers must not underestimate “the sheer volume of demand” that the London 2012 Olympic Games will create.

During a panel discussion at the Master Innholders conference (18-19 January 2010) Chris Holmes, director of Paralympic Integration, London 2012 said: “The Olympics will bring a variety of clients with a variety of needs on a scale that you’ve never seen before. A lot of host cities have got caught out by the sheer volume of demand.”

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to attract 10 million visitors during the 27-day programme. Most visitors will attend on a three-day, two-night package.  There are currently 34 corporate sponsors of the Games who are expected to bring up to 10,000 guests each.

Some 53,000 London hotel rooms per night have already been set aside by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), not for the visiting public, but just for Olympic officials, coaches and journalists.

At the same time it would be a mistake for London general managers to assume they will be fully booked during the Games.  Christopher Hale, head of London 2012, Intercontinental Hotel Group, warned: “Most hotels had rooms available during previous games in Atlanta, Athens and Beijing because corporate business stayed away.”

He said that the LOCOG allocation would most likely account for 65% of a participating London hotel’s inventory and that, in order to fill the remaining 35%, managers would need to pay attention to market trends and not over-hike rates.

Christopher Hale had the following advice on making the most of the Games:

• Focus on core pieces of business such as one particular participating sport. Focus your training and requirements on that sport
• Adapt your space to maximise revenue. During the Atlanta Games, for example, one hotel used the top floor of its car park for banqueting
• Allow third parties to set up temporary shops in your foyer and earn commission
• Fully train your staff in up-selling
• Remember that visitor numbers peak during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Games
• Adjust the opening hours of your shops, restaurants and bars around Olympic events
• Be aware that some of your staff will want to take time off to work as volunteers at the Games
• Remember that there is a huge amount of revenue to capture during the run-up to the Games as athletic teams make training and acclimatisation trips

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