Star Lady 5,400 Posted February 17, 2006 I've just cancelled 2 rooms for June 2nd and 3rd at Cardiff Roath, Premier Travel Inn. so if anyone wants to pay £77 per night for a tatty (and they were tatty last year) hotel room only go for it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Robyn1972 0 Posted February 17, 2006 LOL - I hate to break it to you SL, but salemanship doesn't seem to be your strong point! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shazzybird 10 Posted February 17, 2006 I know there has only been a handful of people saying they've cancelled rooms and that they are not going but somehow I think the figures could be down this year for Cardiff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gemini 4,894 Posted February 18, 2006 Probably not down, but remaining steady. For everyone who has said they're not going there are others who are branching out to Cardiff for the first time. I know of at least four newcomers this year myself. I'm sorry Star Lady is no longer going because of the Travel Inn price rise, but was wondering how much this works out to for each person? Is it two sharing a room or more? Perhaps it's not so extortionate when broken down. As for the tatty room I think you should have complained if you weren't satisfied. Must admit we have always stayed in Travel Lodges rather than the Inn's because they allow the dog/s and the rooms have always been very nice and clean with good furnishings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Star Lady 5,400 Posted February 18, 2006 Gem, I shall in some ways be sorry not to be at Cardiff mainly cos I won't get to meet you and all the other forum members I've got to know over the last few years. However I will not be taken for a mug, and IMO that's what these hotel chains are doing. I know all about supply and demand and fully expect all hotel rooms in Cardiff to be full. If they had said when the rooms were booked that the price would be £77 fine but they didn't and as I said I now prefer to spend my money on following the Stars on their travels. At present it looks like a 2/3 night stay near Redcar in August and probably another northern trip as well. That way we get to see some of the glorious British countryside as well. Speedway won't suffer, in fact it will benefit as any money we would have spent to get into the MS will now go to genuine British Speedway Promoters The bonus is I will get to watch the British GP live on Sky and hopefully see why everyone found Havvy and friends such compulsive viewing. If I'm totally honest the "show" put on by BSI has become somewhat stale and is no longer the draw that it was. As to the tatty rooms, we really couldn't be bothered. The beds were lumpy, but alcohol softened them there were cracked tiles in the shower room, only one sachet of coffee left in either room and when we asked for more were given 2 whereas in other years and in other Travel Inns we have just been given handfuls. Lots of little niggly things that we just ignored but the way this price hike has been handled annoyed all four of us. We use Travel Inns a lot and Roath is the worst we have ever stayed in, maybe it's do an upgrade....I'll never find out now will I lol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lioness 1,478 Posted February 18, 2006 SL Can I ask WHY you cancelled your rooms just now? I sent them a reasoned response to it asking for their confirmation that I would pay the original price, I expect them to say no and they will then get the nasty response. If I decide to cancel however (and I probably will for the reasons outlined below) I will NOT be doing so until the last possible minute. Childish - perhaps but I am damned if I am going to be party to their shocking marketing policy either directly by paying it or indirectly by having someone else pay it. I am fortunate in that I can't drink so for me booking accomodation outwith the area, say an hour or so's drive away, is only a minor inconvenience and for accomodation at half cost and the chance to shove two fingers up at Travel Inn for doing this its a minor inconvenience I am well prepared to put up with. I'd urge everyone cancelling, wether still going to the GP or not, to be as selfish as me to be honest As you know SL I didn't make it to the last 2 GP's. Roath used to be a decent travel inn though and you got to use all the facilities at the John Lloyd next door. Just shows how quickly a place can go downhill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rabbit 1 Posted February 18, 2006 If I decide to cancel however (and I probably will for the reasons outlined below) I will NOT be doing so until the last possible minute. Childish - perhaps but I am damned if I am going to be party to their shocking marketing policy either directly by paying it or indirectly by having someone else pay it. I'd urge everyone cancelling, wether still going to the GP or not, to be as selfish as me to be honest <{POST_SNAPBACK}> As I've posted on the other Cardiff accomodation thread I don't agree with that. It might make you feel better, but some poor souls out there who would like to stay for the GP and don't object to paying the prices on offer will lose out as you make your point. They might get lucky if they try at the last minute but most will probably have given it up as a bad idea. I'm lucky - I've got my room booked (and yes it's gone up but what the heck) but I think I'd be pretty narked if I really had wanted to stay in Cardiff but had found all the hotels i wanted to stay in booked up and read this thread that some people were holding onto rooms just to dip out at the last minute just because they didn't agree with what is, a pretty common policy in the hotel industry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Starman2006 2,356 Posted February 18, 2006 As I've posted on the other Cardiff accomodation thread I don't agree with that. It might make you feel better, but some poor souls out there who would like to stay for the GP and don't object to paying the prices on offer will lose out as you make your point. They might get lucky if they try at the last minute but most will probably have given it up as a bad idea. I'm lucky - I've got my room booked (and yes it's gone up but what the heck) but I think I'd be pretty narked if I really had wanted to stay in Cardiff but had found all the hotels i wanted to stay in booked up and read this thread that some people were holding onto rooms just to dip out at the last minute just because they didn't agree with what is, a pretty common policy in the hotel industry. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Im sorry Rabbit, but on this occasion i disagree with you, and agree with Lioness, i myself wouldn't stay in a tatty room paying extortionate inflated price's, just becouse its a GP weekend. Ok, yes they've got to make hay while the sun shines, but this is what they bank on, fans will pay it reguardless of what the conditions are, i don't know if they have paid a deposit, ok, they would lose that, but end of the day we all have moral standards, and if they feel the conditions of the room is not up to scratch, then people should make a stand, otherwise it will continue to happen. As for dumping a room at the last minute, i see your point, but then we are going back to what i said earlier!!. Mike. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Star Lady 5,400 Posted February 18, 2006 Lioness, I like your thinking but as I am on away on hols the week preceeding Cardiff with my memory I was afraid I might forget to cancel and end up paying for the rooms anyway. Rabbit we will have to agree to disagree on this one. If everyone who was against the profiteering by the hotel chains, cancelled they wouldn't do it again. I know I'm in fantasy land but that's what these large companies bank on. Well I'm sorry they will not be getting any money out of me. If you or anyone else chooses to pay extortionate prices, that's your decision, I prefer to spend mymoney supporting my team and other British clubs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rabbit 1 Posted February 18, 2006 SL - you've cancelled already so fair play. It's your choice at the end of the day and I'm sure you'll have as good a time following your team on those other trips you take instead. My comments (and that's all they are) about cancelling late is that they deprive others who might be prepared to pay the chance of a room and whether making the stand is fair on those other people. Sure people don't like paying extra but its always the debate about how much you want a 'service' against value for money. For me and many others, they're prepared to pay the premuim rate for the convenience of having to travel back. And let's face it, with certain chains you kinda know what you're getting - we're not talking some Fawlty Towers establishment and if a PTI isn't up to scratch then that is more a sleight on that chain than anything else (I stay in the Holiday Inn Express in Cardiff and know the standard I'm paying for premium or not). It is just my opinion and I know others won't agree with me. It's just throwing it out there for consideration that's all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gemini 4,894 Posted February 18, 2006 Got to agree with Rabbit on this one. Fair enough cancelling now if you object to the price hike for Cardiff weekend, but not to do it at the last minute when there are others who would take the room/s. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bobbin' Along 5 Posted February 19, 2006 I'm lucky to live close enough to Cardiff so that I don't have to stay overnight. I had toyed with the idea (friends of ours are staying in Bridgend Friday and Saturday nights and using the park and ride) but quite frankly was put off by the extortionate prices. It seemed from my enquiries that the crappier the hotel, the more expensive it was. You can't stay in the really close hotels, 'cos the likes of BSI have already booked all the rooms for Tomasz Gollob and his crew (happened the last 2 years). Anyway, it's much cheaper to hire a mini van and drive down with a load of mates - you can share the driving. Having said that, as a non-drinker I probably don't fully appreciate the pull that an all-night party city like Cardiff has on someone who enjoys a bevvy or 2! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2ndBender 28 Posted February 19, 2006 I know there has only been a handful of people saying they've cancelled rooms and that they are not going but somehow I think the figures could be down this year for Cardiff. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm lucky in that I live in Newport, so I'll be going again, catching a train home for 3/4 quid and grabbing a curry before turning in! But I think you're right about the crowd being down, although I don't think it's just the accommodation prices. No matter how much we try to kid ourselves, the racing is usually pretty poor, and always will be on a one-off surface. The novelty has worn off for lots of fans and these price hikes will maybe convince more people to spend their money watching some REAL racing. Give me Bydgoszcz any day.....! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lupus 1 Posted February 19, 2006 (edited) I'm lucky in that I live in Newport, so I'll be going again, catching a train home for 3/4 quid and grabbing a curry before turning in! But I think you're right about the crowd being down, although I don't think it's just the accommodation prices. No matter how much we try to kid ourselves, the racing is usually pretty poor, and always will be on a one-off surface. The novelty has worn off for lots of fans and these price hikes will maybe convince more people to spend their money watching some REAL racing. Give me Bydgoszcz any day.....! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I have to agree about the novelty value! The first year was awesome - so much so we persuaded several other people to go with us the next year.....but the second year I felt slightly disappointed. The 3rd year I was bored halfway through and then got a migraine and spent the whole journey home throwing up! I haven't been since as, like 2nd bender says, I'd rather spend my money following Wolves round the country instead. To be honest I'm NOT a great fan of the GP's or individual events generally. To me the true greatness with speedway is that it's a team event. Lots of other motor sports are individual contests (both car and bike racing) - speedways big strength is the team aspect IMHO! Edited February 19, 2006 by lupus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paragon 8 Posted February 19, 2006 I live in Cardiff & I'm not sure if I'll bother this year. I also won't bother with Copenhagen, but will do all the others. Last year there was little atmosphere at Cardiff, the racing was rubbish & to have a parade of riders with no riders speaks for itself. As far as Copenhagen is concerned I've been to all the previous ones & come back covered in beer thanks to the wonderfull Danish fans, having fun chucking beer off the balconies. Put down tracks, No thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
