Bringing in part a discussion that is really on women and chess over at the USCF forum. But refocusing the discussion on lodging with a subtitle cheap or not. So this post does not belong there.
In that discussion two participates mentioned that the price of lodging could be a problem for some women players (and of course it can be for some men too!). All that is good.
But let me say this sometimes you want good and perhaps pricey lodging. At least I do but I am getting up there in years. The next tournament I hope to participate in I will want inexpensive lodging. But that is not true of every chess event in the past that I have participated in.
Just a thought for very large tournaments possibly an organizer should give varied options to the participates on lodging. I am sure some organizers do that.
I know this is not really a discussion item but a statement.
Sometimes, I have found the driving isn’t necessary to receive a discount. For example, there is a tournament coming up (I don’t care to identify it) where there is a “special pricing” offered to the people attending the chess tournament. It’s $90.00 per night (can’t remember if it’s for double occupancy). I went to the hotel’s website and found that I could book rooms for the 4 nights, double occupancy, for less money each night than was being offered to the chess tournament players. The room fees for each night were: $89.00, $49.00, $49.00, and $80.00 respectively, representing a savings of $93.00, about the cost of one night.
Of course, one can shop for more distant venues and receive larger discounts. But I was surprised to find better rates than the “special,” event offering at the same location.
I don’t think that many organizers have the ability or the inclination to get room rates at hotels that they aren’t having the tournament at. Certainly some do, sometimes, but I think for most the options will be reserved to “King or two double beds”.
Also keep in mind that if the organizer is depending on room nights to offset tournament hall costs, encouraging players to use off-site properties will likely impact those costs.