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WHEN TO BOOK & RATES TO EXPECT 
A developing trend over
the past few years has been for properties to be booked up further
and further in advance. This was the case in dramatic
fashion last year, as many of the smaller family owned places were
fully booked for weekends in July and August by the end of May.
There were still some rooms open midweek, but they tended to be
only one or two night stays.
So when should you book and how
early is too early? If you know your coming up in July, make
your reservation in April or May to increase your chances of
getting what you want. For those people who like to thrill of
setting off and visiting the Lakes Region without making a
reservation, sometimes you'll still be able to find a great room,
and other times, you'll wind up sleeping in your car.
When deciding when to book,
consult a calendar of events fist. Many of the dates for the
big events are announced months in advance, allowing you plenty of
room to plan. During these events, of which there are several each
summer, room occupancy rates can reach 100 percent several months
prior to the event. Not to mention that the rates can
triple. If you're on a limited budget, or don't want to deal
with excessive huge crowds and amounts of traffic, always make
sure you're not coming up during a big event.
If you have found a place you'd
like to stay at but you want a room for a three nights and they
only have it open for two, ask if you could be moved to a
different room, if possible during your stay. It's not
pleasant, but it sometime leads to reduced rates to make up for
the inconvenience. If you are making your reservations late,
it may be your only option.
As for rates, they will vary
widely of course. Your basic motel rooms may range from in
season rates of $85 to $130 per night midweek, to $95 to $200
during the weekends. Larger resorts will charge significantly
more, for service and room quality that seldom is miles above the
smaller family owned places. During special events such as the
Nascar Cup Racing, it's not uncommon to see the above
rates double. Rates for bike week reach no limit, they often
exceed $200 per night and minimum stays of at least four days are
common.
Off-Season rates are usually less
than $109 with an average rate of $65. After Labor Day
weekend through Memorial Day weekend is the time period most
places recognize as the off season. Many establishments
offer discounted rates during this period, and will be more
flexible with any lodging restrictions.
