Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 venue has a looming hotel shortage of 30,000 rooms. Photo / Getty Images
Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 venue has a looming hotel shortage of 30,000 rooms. Photo / Getty Images
With 1.2 million people set to descend on Doha for the World Cup, the big question surrounding the global event is where will everyone actually sleep?
Football fans hoping to snag a room or at least a bed for the World Cup may be faced with accommodation bills upwards of $50,000 – and that's if you're lucky.
Costa Rican fans reacted with absolute jubilation on Tuesday morning after the a hard fought victory over New Zealand booked their place in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. But following the thrilling win, and in the lead up to the biggest sporting event of the year, fanatics have a new challenge on their hands if they have any hope of attending the tournament.
With around 1 million people from around the world trying to secure somewhere to stay in Doha for the Cup, early punters have been quoted tens of thousands to get a bed for the duration – or even part thereof – the tournament.
There is a shortfall in hotel rooms throughout the city. Photo / Screenshot
Normally Doha is home to less than three million so finding space for the extra visitor load in time for the first game on November 21 has been a challenge in itself.
But with other teams from around the world already securing their spot – booking agents, Airbnb and even flight prices have surged into the tens of thousands of dollars due to fans desperate to visit the small Gulf state late this year.
Speaking to Sky News,England fan CJ Joiner from Coventry hopes to make the trip with his partner and their newborn son – who will be just eight months old in November.
"If you go on booking.com or Airbnb now you are talking fifty or sixty grand for a month in an apartment or in a room," he said.
Doha accommodation has been pushed to tens of hundreds of dollars a night. Photo / Screenshot
"The actual hotels and stuff you can't really book – there is literally just no availability …. there's plenty of beds available but they are just not available to book yet.
"I can understand that there will be lots of people out there thinking, 'Oh no what am I going to do' … but I'm still confident everyone will find somewhere to stay."
A quick search on Booking.com, and you're already out of luck.
Qatar Airways have special packages for those wanting to combine flights, accommodation and match tickets. Photo / Saif Zaman, Unsplash
This is because, according to the Associated Press,tournament organisers secured rooms for representatives from the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), sponsors and international media. It's also in an attempt to stop early price gauging from hoteliers.
On the official FIFA website, hotels, apartments and villas have all been spruiked as accommodation options – as well as the Fan Village for desert camping and rooms aboard cruise ships.
"More than 30,000 hotel and residential rooms are still under construction and will be released to the market in due course" the Supreme Committee told Sky News.
The World Cup in Doha has increased accommodation costs 10 fold. Photo / Screenshot
As for listings on Airbnb, it will cost a small fortune if you decide to book a listing – with just a few weeks in Doha ranging anywhere from $20,000 for a very simple apartment to $100,000 for a basic room that sleeps five people.
For those looking for a cheaper option, fans may still be in luck and able to snap up a slice of sand that backs on to the desert about an hour's drive south of Doha.
The cabanas – which are being spruiked as five star – will have their own bedrooms and a private bathroom.
Speaking to Sky News, Angel Tindoy – a supervisor at a beach resort which sits next door and will run the site said they're ready for guests to arrive.
