Where to stay? For PSL fans, no hotel rooms on the cheap

Hotels, guest houses near Gaddafi Stadium jack up rents

LAHORE: As cricket fans throng the provincial metropolis for the PSL final, hotels and guest houses especially near the Gaddafi Stadium have hiked their rents significantly, making the temporary stay for the tourists an expensive holiday.

Cricket fans from all over the country have arrived in Lahore to see the final of the Pakistan Super League that will be played today at the Gaddafi Stadium. But finding an affordable residence a day before in the city was not an easy task as fans could be seen searching for hotel rooms.



“There is no place to stay near the Gaddafi Stadium. Hotels that have spare rooms are charging exorbitant rates for even single-bed rooms,” says Muhammad Ali, who has come from Peshawar.

Another fan Abid Khan, a regular traveller to Lahore, said he had been unable to find a room for the night on a reasonable price. “Many places have increased their rents overnight,” he complained.

Hotels in Gulberg, which is relatively closer to the Gaddafi Stadium, are charging around Rs12,000 to 14,000 for a single room a night. The rent, at even some of the best hotels, was around Rs8,000 to 10,000.



Hotels a bit farther from the stadium have also increased their rent to take advantage of the sudden rush of people.

Salim, a businessman from Multan, said he had inquired about rents from hotels on Davis Road and in and around the Mall Road area, where rents had been jacked up by a few thousand rupees. “The cheapest room I can get is of Rs5,000, which was earlier around Rs3,500,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2017.