Rex Harvey, our candidate for WMA president, has posted this long analysis of the lodging situation at Lahti for WMA worlds. He lists a bunch of options, including one for 25 Euros a night at local schools! And many volunteers are offering their homes as well. This totally contradicts earlier German reports of gouging and shortages. Rex writes from Finland: “I understand that many of the owners and families involved in this private accommodation are most anxious to take in international athletes and to entertain them, and show them around and to take them to their summer cottages and so forth. The cost for these private accommodations is only 43 Euros per person per night. And there is a minimum of a 7-day stay. There are about 400 of these spots left.”

Rex also writes:

I spoke directly to Lahti Travel people early last week at the SportAccord
Conference in Denver and other Lahti Travel people at the European Regional
Indoor Championships in Italy and then again also here in Lahti. 

They gave me very
encouraging news concerning the housing situation for the World Championships.
And, although it is not my direct responsibility, I would like to pass on that good
news. Despite being told earlier that the housing was nearly sold out in the Lahti
area, it turns out that was technically true, but misleading, information. 

The reason
for the near “sold out” condition was because various travel agents from around the
world had reserved large room blocks with Lahti Travel, the City owned travel and
accommodation company that is a member of the Local Organizing Committee
(LOC). 

Well, it turns out that many of those companies did not sell nearly all their
rooms because it was early and they were selling travel and housing packages, not
just housing, so those rooms are again available directly to you athletes through
Lahti Travel. 

There are about 500 hotel rooms available in the Lahti area, some in
the City center. Most of the hotels have a 5 day stay minimum.
Many of you may have tried to book directly with local hotels and have seen no
vacancy and/or very high prices. That is not surprising as Lahti Travel, knowing
that it would be needed for the Championship, had reserved almost all of the
housing in the area to be sure that as many people as possible could be close to the
competition. 

In addition, there are some new offerings in housing other than
traditional hotels which are very interesting. They also recently have added some
other accommodation in nearby towns from which they plan transportation at
reasonable prices.
About 350 spaces in Hotels, Summer Hotels, and Guest Houses, that are about 30
minutes from Lahti, are now available and range from 50 to 115 Euros per person
per night. 

Of particular interest are the nearby Sports Institutes (Finnish Olympic Training
Centers) which range from 64 to 125 Euros per person. The Pajulahti Sports Center
is very near, just outside of Nastola, where the third Championship stadium is
located about 6 miles from Lahti. Nastola will be the site of some
Decathlons/Heptathlons and much of the 5000, 10000, and Track Walk competition. 

Pajulahti is a rural site on a large lake (you could canoe into Lahti if you like). It has
its own track oval, a sprint straight, all throwing and jumping areas and a cafeteria
on a point overlooking the beautiful lake. It should be a wonderful place to stay. It
is so desirable that I thought it was fully booked long ago, but I understand that there are vacancies. 

Only slightly further away is the Sport Institute of Finland at
Vierumaki which has many of the same features as well as two golf courses on site.
The transportation tickets for these two sports institutes, as well as many of the
others mentioned above, are 5 Euros one-way, 60 for 5 days and 100 for 12 days
unlimited trips. 

For an experience with even more depth, there are private accommodations
available. These are local private apartments and rooms in homes, many of the
hosts whom are also volunteers working at the Championships. I just attended a
volunteer training session and there were over 200 in attendance. 

And this was
only one of the three initial sessions. There are over 700 volunteers signed up and
more coming. I understand that many of the owners and families involved in this
private accommodation are most anxious to take in international athletes and to
entertain them, and show them around and to take them to their summer cottages
and so forth. 

The cost for these private accommodations is only 43 Euros per
person per night. And there is a minimum of a 7 day stay. There are about 400 of
these spots left.
For those wanting the lowest cost possible in the local area, there are school
dormitory rooms available for only 25 Euros per person (no frills, no meals). 

There
are about 900 of these dorm rooms still available and they are in the Lahti City area
within easy walking distance to the main stadium.