Nikon Indy 300 bookings down for IRL

Nikon Indy 300 hotel and apartment bookings are only slightly softer than last year, but operators are still confident they will be full come race day.

Citing shattered consumer and business confidence, some operators say they are behind last year's bookings, while others says they are on track to have the tills ringing within a couple of weeks.

Holiday Inn general manager Greg Cox said rooms were still available 'for the first time in many years'. Perhaps fans want the far more appealing Champ Cars back.

"That comes as a bit of a surprise but I think that might be more about people leaving things until the last minute," said Mr. Cox.

"In the past we have been full by this stage but I have no concerns about it — we will fill and the event will be as good as ever."

Trackside Equinox Apartments on Main Beach Parade still had three rooms available yesterday for five-night blocks ranging from $3900 to $4700. Availability in that block, a local property agent said, was unusual this close to the event.

Another trackside building, Bahia Apartments, also had rooms available until recently, ranging from $4000 to $6000. A property manager said the apartments were usually booked out years in advance, but that two late cancellations had created unexpected vacancies.

Simon Black, the director of sales and marketing at Courtyard by Marriott, said bookings were probably a little bit behind last year's, but he still expected the hotel to be fully booked by Indy. Their three-night accommodation packages ranged from $340 through to $2200 a night for the grand three-level penthouse.

The trackside Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort was 'heavily booked' and was expected to be full for the four days of Indy, said sales and marketing director Ken Duddy.

Prices there based on a minimum four-night stay started about $580 a room a night.