Articles

Lodging – Some ideas for solutions

Six months before the launch of the 5th Congrès mondial acadien, Acadia of the Lands and Forests prepares to welcome thousands of festival goers on its vast territory. The survey conducted last November with the owners of campsites, hotels, motels, inn and lodges revealed that there was still plenty of availability in the various lodging establishments in the territory.
In order to facilitate the search for lodging by the people interested in coming to celebrate Acadie of the world, the Congrès mondial acadien 2014 offers an online directory that allows you to view, by city and/or region, commercial and private accommodations available on the territory of Acadia of the Lands and Forests: www.cma2014.com/services/hebergement.
However, some people have expressed their difficulty in finding accommodations. To help visitors in their search, the organizing committee of the CMA 2014 suggests the following solution ideas:
•    You might want to expand your search outside the larger centers;
•    If you are a large group, think about dividing the group at two or three different sites;
•    Do not limit yourself to large capacity lodging facilities. The territory has many smaller establishments that can accommodate you in style;
•    When a lodging establishment says that they have nothing available for the period you need, there might be a problem with one or two nights only. You should then ask them which dates are unavailable. Then, you could surely find other accommodations on the territory for those problem dates, even if the establishment is a little bit further away.
•    Split-up your stay (a few days in one place, a few days in another, etc.)
•    Search throughout the lodging directory (all regions, every city/town, every establishment).
•    Seasonal establishments such as campgrounds and/or bed and breakfasts do not all answer their phone or emails after the summer season. Even though you cannot reach them doesn’t mean they are fully booked. Call back later this spring.
•    If private lodging interests you, consult the online directory for private lodging: www.cma2014.com/repertoire/hebergementprive.
•    Leave your name on a waiting list in case the establishment has cancellations and ask them for a call back date.
•    Lodging establishments usually block rooms for tour operators and regular customers. If those customers do not need the rooms, they are released into the inventory of rooms available at intervals varying from 14, 30 to 60 days before arrival. Watch for those dates. For example, if you are looking for a room on August 8 and 9, call back June 9 (60 days), July 9 (30 days) or July 25 (14 days) before your planned arrival.
•    Don’t get discouraged! Each region that has hosted a Congrès mondial acadien in the past was able to welcome each visitor, and the territory of Acadia of the Lands and Forests will certainly not be the exception.
Furthermore, the CMA 2014 unfortunately has no control over the prices asked by the lodging establishments, who probably follow the rule of supply and demand. If the prices do not suit you or if you cannot find lodging in the town of your choice, you may want to consider looking further away. Admittedly, you may have some driving to do, but the territory offers a unique opportunity: in the same day, you may wake up in Québec, admire the splendors of New Brunswick on your way to celebrate in Maine then leave the United States at the crack of dawn to return to Canada to sleep.
The world of hosting constantly fluctuates, day after day. A hotel may be fully occupied one day and then, two weeks later, a group cancels a block of 10 rooms. Some establishments may accept, for now, only group reservations or for longer stays, so if they tell you it is fully occupied, ask if they plan to release rooms in the near future.
The host region of the CMA 2014 is relatively well-endowed in terms of commercial lodging establishments, but many visitors wish to live in a family environment. You have a room, an apartment, a house or camp available? There is still time to let us know about your private accommodations offer! Simply fill out the registration form online at: www.cma2014.com/hebergementprive.