Coldplay has descended in Ahmedabad, and the city is buzzing with vibes of the magical fever that the British band has spread.
“I cannot wait to witness the magical once-in-a-lifetime experience of Coldplay in Ahmedabad,” said Shubham Nagpal, a Delhite fan in a voice sparkling with joy.
Everything seemed dreamy before reality hit— the hotel rates. One of the massive problems that Coldplay concert revellers have faced in the city is the exorbitant accommodation prices soaring as high as ₹50,000-₹1,00,000.
A fan said that normal hotels which earlier provided rooms at the rate of ₹800 per night are providing rooms at the cost of ₹15,000, a massive 1,000% hike.
“Coldplay came to India to cater for Indians with affordable ticket prices starting at ₹2,500, but Indian businesses have played dirty, costing our Delhi to Ahmedabad trip to ₹30,000 per person,” said Nagpal with disappointment.
The mighty hotel alternative
Amdavadis are not behind in seeking a business opportunity ahead of the concert, happening in the heart of the city, at Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera.
Residents of areas near the airport and Narendra Modi Stadium are seizing the opportunity to rent out their homes or spare rooms on rent to the Coldplay fans.
“While even one-star hotel prices were between ₹15,000 and ₹50,000, a localite offered us her spare 2BHK flat in the New Vatva area for just ₹5,000,” said Nagpal.
Vrunda Mehta, a resident of Vastrapur when contacted, said she is willing to provide a room to a female Coldplay fan with no charges at all!
Another Coldplay fan, Deepam Khattar, also a Delhite said that he doesn’t need accommodation as he will roam around the city after landing 12 hours before the concert.
Discussions on Ahmedabad Reddit circles were also worth indulging in! One Redditor said, “It is not the infrastructure of the city, but the hotel owners of the city who are making it hard for Coldplay fans to visit Ahmedabad.”
Smart fans claimed that they booked a cheap hotel in Vadodara, Gandhinagar, or nearby cities in Ahmedabad and will travel to Ahmedabad a few hours before the concert.
Fans from Gujarat are either crashing their friends’ or relatives’ houses or just driving back to their district in Gujarat after the concert.
Some fans did not make a wise choice though. To avoid accommodation expenses, a fan from Mumbai said on Reddit that he would travel by train to Ahmedabad and return by train after the concert, around 1.15 am.
Now the catch is, that trains to Mumbai will arrive at Sabarmati Railway Station, which is 16 km from the stadium. Post-concert traffic will disappoint many fans who are planning to catch buses, trains or flights after the concert. But, it’s better to get going, then get stuck in the city.