Ahmedabad: Homestay rates in and around Ahmedabad spiked ahead of Sunday’s India-New Zealand T20 World Cup final, with hosts and aggregators quoting prices that travellers said were several times the usual. In the Motera area, rooms that typically go for around Rs 2,000 per night were being listed at over Rs 20,000. On one booking platform, a three-room villa near the stadium was priced at Rs 21,942 per room, with a 50% advance payment required while booking and no option to cancel.A caretaker at the property confirmed that all three rooms were fully booked and that the hall was also being offered to guests.
He said the property usually caters to students at rates between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 per night, with discounts for longer stays. He added that only token cash payments were being accepted and no receipts were issued. Across Motera and nearby localities, homestay prices ranged from Rs 15,000 to Rs 21,000 per night. Rates dipped with distance from the venue but remained steep, hovering around Rs 11,000 per night for a double-occupancy room.The price increase extended well beyond city limits. In Nadiad, roughly 65km from the stadium, homestays were quoting Rs 11,000 to Rs 15,000 per night. In Gandhinagar and Chiloda, rates ranged from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 — prices that regular visitors said are normally Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500 per couple per night.Hotels followed the trend. Industry sources said single-night tariffs rose by about 20% as demand intensified. A hotel on Sindhu Bhavan Road that had not been listing rooms on Friday reportedly opened bookings and quoted Rs 1.21 lakh for a night’s stay. Another property on Judges Bungalow Road raised its rate from Rs 18,000 on Friday to Rs 22,000 by Saturday.Local residents and businesses also found ways to cash in on the footfall. Satish Patel, who runs a medical store near the stadium, said, “Residential societies in the vicinity were offering parking at Rs 50 to Rs 100 for two-wheelers and Rs 300 to Rs 400 for cars, as vehicle entry is restricted beyond a certain point. Shop owners in the vicinity were doing brisk business selling snacks, tea, beverages, and water bottles.“
