Adelaide short-stay accommodation operators have been slammed for jacking up prices for the AFL’s inaugural Gather Round.
Billed as a “Festival of Footy”, Gather Round will see all AFL round five matches played across three different Adelaide grounds between April 13-16.
Adelaide Oval will hold six of the nine matches, including a blockbuster clash between Collingwood and St Kilda on Sunday afternoon.
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Short-stay hosts have been quick to cash in on the footy buzz as suburban homes and city bedrooms quickly turn into luxury stays.
A 16-guest, eight-bedroom, two-bathroom dwelling in North Brighton is listed for $23,522 for the length of the event, which is just under $8000 a night.
The enormous property is split into two, fully contained residences and boasts being close to “the beaches of Glenelg and Brighton, where you can find a variety of restaurants and stores”.
One four-bedroom home in Darlington, on the southern fringes of Adelaide, is currently listed at $17,502.71 for the Gather Round dates.
The description claims it is a “stylish” place to stay and “perfect for group trips” with friends or family, however parties are “strictly not acceptable”.
Another private room, listed as an “Adelaide City Fringe House”, will set you back $3870 for the four days.
The one-bedroom, shared-bathroom stay boasts a double bed and kitchen and is located close to the city.
While guests will be able to enjoy newly-purchased kitchen appliances and the “comfortable and quiet environment”, they face a “surcharge” for laundry, parking, internet and heating and cooling.
Punters were quick to evoke the iconic words from Darryl Kerrigan from Australian film The Castle as they reacted to news of the prices.
“Tell them they are dreaming,” several people wrote online.
“That’s like staying at the Marina Bay Sand Resorts in Singapore,” another exclaimed.
“We did ten days on the Gold Coast in a resort with hire care and all theme parks for less – two adults and four kids,” one woman contextualised.
South Australian Hotels Association chief Ian Horne told the Adelaide Advertiser the prices seemed exorbitant but said the market itself would be the ultimate regulator.
“You could buy a small SUV for that price and sleep in it. If that person can get someone to pay $27,000, then good luck to them,” he said.
“If no one wants to pay it then it won’t be rented out. I encourage (footy fans) to shop around.”
Premier Peter Malinauskas was keen to welcome interstate fans and any associated boost to the local economy.
“If they’re doing that paying higher rates, then that’s good for the local South Australian economy.”
And for those spooked after reading this, at the time of publication, some hotel rooms were still available in the city and surrounds at far cheaper rates.
