Easy breezy Fieldays accommodation service launched

Once upon a time finding accommodation during major events in Hamilton was like finding a needle in a Fieldays haystack. But those days are numbered thanks to Hamilton City Council's innovative new easy breezy, city-wide accommodation booking service.

The accommodation booking service was initially developed for the V8s as a one-stop-shop for all available accommodation and covers the full range of accommodation types. This year for the first time the booking service will be offered to visitors to Hamilton's Fieldays, the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere.

Hamilton iSITE manager Liz Stolwyk says the service is incredibly easy to use – simply visit www.visithamilton.co.nz, click on the Event tab and go accommodation shopping city-wide! Exhibitors or large corporate groups are encouraged to contact Hamilton's iSITE directly for a special password-protected area of the site which shows even more availability and can do so by telephoning 07 958 5960 (within New Zealand) or 64 7 958 5960 (internationally).

"It gets better", says Stolwyk. "Once you're in Hamilton there's a huge range of exciting options to explore the city – whether it's an afternoon at a winery, a little journey of a day trip, glow worms, wildlife, a night out or some family fun – it's all right there on the website too.

"This is a New Zealand first and it's all about really looking after our guests by making their experience as fantastic as possible. The best thing about it is that it really is just so simple - even for those out there that are looking for last minute bookings - we have a range of beds still available."

This year Fieldays celebrates its 40th Birthday. Mystery Creek events manager Ammie Hardie says that means a whole lot of increased activity at this year's event and plenty of reason to increase your stay. "Hamilton City Council's Visit Hamilton website makes that hassle-free and we're pleased to be working with them to give visitors a high quality stay."

Stolwyk says the service is good news for the city's accommodation operators too. "The service is great for the customer for sure but it's great for the accommodation providers too. This is something we have done to add value to the region's accommodation providers by making it easy to ensure all vacancies are filled for the duration of all our major events. We're keeping the business in Hamilton and in the Waikato."