Locals Hold Keys to Finding a Room in Atlanta

If you’ve just awakened to the fact that the Summer Olympics are approaching, and that the Games are being played in Atlanta July 19 to Aug. 4, there’s good news for you. Tickets to many of the 26 official Olympic sports still are plentiful, and so are certain categories of lodgings. And you can still book seats for many programs of the Olympic Arts Festival. So it’s not too late to plan a trip.

The not-so-good news, however, is that the remaining tickets for athletic events are chiefly for preliminary competitions rather than the finals. And by all reports, hotels and motels within 100 miles of Atlanta are sold out.

Most of the rooms were set aside for Olympic officials, the media and families of competitors. Atlanta only had about 55,000 lodging rooms to begin with--far fewer than in Los Angeles for the 1984 Games. However, not all the rooms set aside may be needed, and in the weeks ahead vacancies may become available through WorldTravel Partners, the Games’ official travel services operator.

If you can’t get a close-in hotel room through WorldTravel Partners, the major alternatives are to stay in distant lodgings and commute, or book space in a private home or condo within an hour’s drive of the Olympic Ring, where most events will be held. As many as 25 firms are booking rooms in host-occupied apartments and homes or in unoccupied apartments and homes. The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, (404) 880-9000, will mail or fax a list of 19 firms among its members that are offering private housing. Most firms require a minimum stay of three to six days. More good news is that some Atlanta homeowners who put their properties up for rent at inflated prices have begun to lower their rates, though prices still are high.

For those seeking private lodgings, Jim Babcock of the Chamber of Commerce recommends finding a place near public transportation. If possible, select lodgings near the sporting events you plan to attend. Ask for photos of the place, and get a signed contract. Ask whether a security deposit for possible damage is required, and if your payment will be put into an escrow account pending your arrival. Find out also about refund policies.

Among the organizations offering private lodgings:

* Private Housing 1996 ([770] 455-0081) is Atlanta’s officially sanctioned private lodging organization. “We’re set up and controlled by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games,” says Dusty Rhoades, executive vice president. As such, it has access to the names and addresses of ticket purchasers, and it has been marketing its lodgings to them. About 2,500 apartments and 7,500 homes are listed. These properties fall in the “unoccupied” category--the owner will not be on the premises.

Rates for a single-family home range from $150 to $400 a night per bedroom (based on two people per bedroom), and according to Rhoades, properties are all within 45 miles of the Olympic Ring and “most are within 25 miles.” Rentals are offered in six-night blocks, and there are preset dates for the blocks. Arrival dates are July 19, 25 and 31. If you want to stay eight days, for example, you must book two six-day blocks. Thus far, space is plentiful.

Apartment rentals are for a 30-day minimum only, and the price starts at $165 per bedroom per night based on a two-bedroom apartment. For an additional fee, transportation, housekeeping and other services are provided.

* Great Manors ([800] 483-7896) has established a three-day minimum rental in host-occupied properties. “Right now, there’s a glut of private housing,” says the firm’s head, Debra St. Jude, and prices have dropped. The firm lists about 5,000 properties, which also include unoccupied homes. For unoccupied homes, the minimum stay is seven days. However, there are no preset arrival dates for either host-occupied or unoccupied rentals.

A room with a private bath in a host-occupied home or apartment begins at about $100 a night, and the average rate is about $150 to $250 a night. In a host-unoccupied home or apartment, the rate is $125 to $700 a night per bedroom. Most lodgings are within 40 miles of the Olympic Ring. * WorldTravel Partners ([214] 851-4029) is officially sanctioned to provide a variety of services to Olympic ticket-holders. It is acting as a central reservation service for hotel lodgings as they become available, says Jerilyn Jones, vice president of marketing. Close-in lodgings generally are more expensive, and there is a three-day minimum stay. WorldTravel also has contract rates for airline seats and car rentals, and is offering bus transportation from Atlanta to Savannah and other competition sites outside the Olympic Ring.

* Peach Comfort Housing ([800] 255-1812) is a small, minority-owned firm listing 250 houses, apartments, resort cabins and recreational vehicle sites within a 45-minute drive of the Olympic Ring. There is no minimum-stay requirement. “Quite a bit of space is still left,” said marketing director Guy Darnell. A room for two with a private bath begins at about $250 a night; a three-bedroom home suitable for six to eight people begins at about $450 a night.

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Christopher Reynolds is on assignment.