There’s still plenty to experience in the off-season, but a small announcement last week brought the festival back into the spotlight. All it took was the first photo of Constitution Hill running at Seven Mounds and we immediately began discussing when and where the former steeplechase champion would appear again and what the prospects were for reclaiming his crown.
Nicky Henderson’s careful handling of the ailing Constitution Hill during the March event will upset some race fans, but the real issue is that it seems a waste of energy if hotel prices are maintained. Fan relations is a topic that has snowballed over the past seven days with the pins on the humor grenades surrounding Oasis’ big showdown, and no one trying to get tickets on Saturday will be successful. After all, it felt supersonic.
A shocking phenomenon known as “dynamic pricing” is when some hotel chains cancel rooms booked for £90 and then resell them for four times the price, according to multiple reports. It only encourages greed without consideration or concern for consumers. With this storm, I thought it would be a good time to check what rooms in Cheltenham Town Center will cost during the week of the festival next March. At least the old saying goes that Dick Turpin liked to wear a mask.
And I can see why it’s still relevant. Holiday Inn Express is highlighted on these pages by my colleague Ed Chamberlin ahead of this year’s festivities. Ed couldn’t believe that this budget organization was willing to charge attendees £650 for a night in a three star hotel.
It’s getting worse. I stayed on Tuesday 11th March and checked out on Friday 14th March and the total price per night I found from an internet search was £825 per night for a standard room. That wasn’t fair, was it? It was natural to call the unit. “not.” I said. “One night costs £808.33 including VAT. So the total cost of your stay would be £2425. Do you want to continue?To put it into detail, this price is £1,980 more than it would cost to spend three nights in the same house next week.
Unfortunately, Holiday Inn is not alone. I called the nearby Doubletree Hilton and was told they would charge £654 per night during the week of the festival. Yes, we understand that hotels, like any other business, need to make the most of the busiest time of the year. But that cannot be said to be fair when people’s finances are under all kinds of pressure. He has not. It’s such a shame.
Cheltenham Festival Week should have an atmosphere that reflects this, but that was not the case six months ago. Arriving at the track each morning, you’re usually met with stories of fully booked restaurants, available tables and quieter-than-usual pubs. Track management learned about the problem four days later at a meeting. But how can you not sympathize with critics when your attempts to rekindle a lost spark are betrayed elsewhere? Some hoteliers might think they’re being clever by squeezing the juice out of people who want to go to the Cotswolds, but all they and the rail companies who collect the money are doing is confusing people.
This is no longer possible. Horse Power understands Cheltenham is looking at ways to reduce hotel costs. The festival is still six months away and we are determined to get back on track. Constitution Hill’s return to work should not have sparked cynicism, but rather raised hearts about a golden opportunity to cross swords with Statesman, Lossiemouth and Ballyburn in The Champion’s Hurdle. Bring imagination back to life for people in cities that are currently outnumbered.
