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Torino 2006: More Hotel Options

The 2006 Winter Games are getting closer and with reports of ticket availability, actually going to these Olympics could be doable. Now, the search is on for a hotel.

Ludus Tours says their they still have "availability in more than 200 hotel rooms in one to four-star hotels in Turin and in the mountain venues."

According to a company spokesperson:

"Torino 2006 is much more organized and ready to host the Olympics than Athens was a month before the Games. People seem to think that there are no hotels available in the city, which just simply is not true."

The company is offering rooms located in the Turin City Center as well as in the mountains of Sestriere, Bardonecchia and Sauze d' Oulx, which are near some of the sporting events.

In the city's center, the three-star Hotel Artua & Solferino has four nights available from Feb. 8-14 and 15-19 for $440 per night.

A recent user had this to say:

Hotel Artua is a delightful small hotel on the fourth floor of an apartment building. The room was comfortable and quiet, but not fancy. It felt "home-like" because all of our neighbors around the courtyard seemed to be local people and we were living among them. It was just a few blocks from restaurants, shops, Piazza Castello and other sights.

Another option is the Hotel Napoleon in nearby Susa, which has rooms from February 22-27 open for $700 per night. However, these rates or rooms may not be available, depending on how quickly Ludus Tours is updating their site.

Related Stories:
· Hotel Artu Reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Torino Coverage [HotelChatter]

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Buongiorno Torino!

There's been some buzz going on that the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy--yes, there are Winter Olympics this year--have been suffering from lackluster ticket sales.

Which means if you want to go to the games, you probably have a reasonable shot at getting both tickets and hotel rooms, especially since unused rooms at top hotels are expected to open up by the end of January.

The games run from Feb. 10 to 26 and MSNBC has reported on the decadent accomodations available, such as the Grand Hotel Sitea, (300 Euros) the Turin Palace Hotel, (250 Euros) and the five-star Golden Palace, (600 Euros) where the Olympic committee is staying and thus likely will have no rooms vacant.

Quick facts: The Sitea doesn't have internet capability. The Turin Palace was built in 1872 and The Golden Palace was the name of the hotel the Golden Girls ran in their spin-off series of the same name.

An official accommodation network for the Torino games, Jumbo Grandi Eventi, also has a complete up-to-date listing of hotel vacancies. All you HotelMavens who end up going, please send us a shout-out or two, preferably with pictures.

Related Stories:
·Torino Hotels [HotelChatter]
·Olympic Burnout, No big names make for lackluster ticket sales [WSJ via Arizona Star]
· Tempted by Torino [MSNBC]

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AC10 Torino: You Can't Get In For The Olympics, But...

Where: Via Bisalta, 11, Torino, Piedmont, Italy, 10100

[Ed. Note: mnot, one of our favorite Hotel Mavens, literally stumbled upon a kick ass hotel in Turin, Italy. (Great photos mnot!) Our issues with Italian hotels always stemmed from reports we received from you guys. However, all of a sudden the Italian hotel buzz seems to be turning from hellish to damn good. Could Italian hotels be turing the corner? Remember to send us your best and worst hotel stories.]

Next time you're in Torino after the Olympics, check out the AC10 Turin; it proves that you can find a good hotel in Italy, easily.

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Turin or Turino? Either Way Your Hotel Options Are Limited

So is it Turin or Torino? Tomato, Tomahto.

Either way, it can be tricky to be spontaneous when it comes to Olympic travel. For example, say you decide you want to go to next years winter games in Torino Italy. Well, if you are just thinking about getting a hotel room now you get the bronze medal-- you are a little late, but you still have a chance.

These Olympic freaks plan ahead, and in true Olympian spirit, you have to get up pretty early in the morning to compete for a hotel room in Turin. The official hotel booking web site for the games, Jumbo Grandi Eventi (which means, Big Huge Events), still has some hotels available -- mostly in the 2 and 3 star categories, and mostly not in Turin itself.

You could try to canoodle an conoli a room in a town not so near Torino, then try to buy event tickets and trek in to the village, or you could just sign up for a package deal. Sports Traveler lists a variety of deals that include hotel, tickets, air fare, and some with English guides.

Hotel Langhe in Alba even offers a wine tasting seminar. See, that is what these package pushers do, they corner the market on rooms and tickets then force you to drink their wine. Pushers.

Related Stories:
·   Want To Go To The Olimpics? [MSNBC]
·   Sports Traveler [Torino Packages]
·   Turin Tourism Reviews [TripAdvisor]