Share this on

Average High Point hotel rate cut to $134, board is told

Rates fall 20% for those listed on Market Authority Web site

Larry Thomas -- Furniture Today, March 3, 2010

HIGH POINT — Directors of the High Point Market Authority were told Tuesday that hotel rates for next month's market have dropped more than 20% in the past year for attendees who book rooms through the Market Authority's Web site.

The average room rate is $134 per night at the 48 hotels listed on the site, compared with $175 per night for hotels that were listed for the April 2009 market, board members were told.

Hotels listed on the site must agree to eliminate minimum-stay requirements and allow cancellations without penalty if they're made at least 30 days prior to market. Hotels that don't agree with those provisions aren't listed on the site, said Market Authority President Brian Casey.

"We agree to promote them on our site, and in return, we are expecting them to give a better value to the marketgoers who are here," Casey told board members. "Those who don't cooperate are not promoted."

Shuttle buses will still pick up and drop off attendees at hotels that aren't on the site, however, and individual attendees and companies are free to make reservations directly with hotels.

"That's fantastic ... that you have been able to get the rates down that much," said board member Tom Mitchell, alluding to longstanding complaints from attendees about high room rates and onerous cancellation policies.

Casey said the Market Authority staff also is working with the International Home Furnishings Representatives Assn. to secure even lower rates for sales reps and selected hotels.

In other business, the board welcomed three new members. Attending their first meeting Tuesday were Doug Bassett, executive vice president of Vaughn Bassett Furniture; Brian Bunch, assistant general manager of Merchandise Mart Properties; and Dave Oddo, senior vice president of Showplace Properties.

Bassett is one of two American Home Furnishings Alliance representatives (board chairman Kevin O'Connor of Samson Marketing is the other), while Bunch and Oddo got their board seats because they oversee some of market's larger showroom complexes.

More High Point Market April 2010 Coverage

Share this on

Rates drop 20% for hotels booked via market Web site

Mar 8, 2010

Also by this author

Also by Larry Thomas

Featured Company

FurnitureCore.com

FurnitureCore.com is a dynamic web application aimed at the furniture industry. Retailers and manufacturers alike will find our deep reserve of tools to be exactly what their furniture business needs.www.furniturecore.com... more