Qatar’s over priced Airbnb accommodation nightmare exposed
Cockroach riddled and ridiculously overpriced Airbnb rentals are the latest hit to Qatar’s World Cup accommodation horror.
A cockroach-ridden $AUD1,140-a-night hovel is among filthy rip-off flats on offer to England fans at the Qatar World Cup.
We posed as Three Lions followers to view the tiny concrete box described by its owner, Hilal, as “adorable” on rental site Airbnb, The Sun reports.
The flat, with its cracked walls, soiled mattress and at least five ’roaches in the kitchen, was next to a noisy building site in Doha.
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Another Airbnb host, Riham, was offering digs in the capital with stained walls and lounge-kitchenette for $938 a night.
Mohammad showed us snaps of his “lovely” three-room property near Khalifa Stadium — a World Cup ground — at $3,143-a-night.
They were among dozens of grubby homes advertised by landlords hoping to cash in as fans fear a looming Cup accommodation crisis.
A million visitors are expected to descend on the Yorkshire-sized oil-rich state.
Qatar 2022 chiefs insist there will be plenty of Fan Village Cabins to be had and urge fans to avoid the private rental market.
Omar Al-Jaber, Supreme Committee accommodation boss, said: “We’ll cope. There’s no crisis.”
Qatari tournament organisers have so far refused all requests to view the cabins, which they claim sleep two in comfort and feature airconditioning, en suite bathrooms and TVs.
And they insisted yesterday that there would be enough rooms for more than a million fans about to descend on the tiny oil-rich state the size of Yorkshire.
Qatar 2022 chiefs insisted that fans planning to see two matches during the group stage would pay around $2,800 for a four-night stay including flights, rooms, match tickets and food.
Accommodation was said to be still available for as little as $126-a-night – as fans were advised to avoid private renters by going to the official Qatar Accommodation Agency website.
Damning footage on social media exposed the ugly reality fans faced with tent style accommodation, many labelling the upcoming World Cup as Fyre Festival 2.0.
Fans with tickets will also save thanks to free travel on Qatar’s new metro system between games, which will be sited closer together than in any previous World Cup.
Two huge cruise ships and 30 traditional Arab dhows moored at harbourside locations near fan zones will have also been drafted in to boost room numbers.
Omar Al Jaber, Executive Director of Accommodation at Qatar’s Supreme Committee told The Sun: “We will be able to cope with any last minute rush of demand – there is no accommodation crisis and everything is under control.
“But we cannot control the market forces of supply and demand which dictate the prices charged by the private sector.
“We remain confident that we will be in a position to deliver an affordable five star service to fans coming to enjoy the World Cup in Qatar.
“Around 90 per cent of the work on our fan cabins is done and they will be fully furnished and ready to receive guests in three weeks.
“I would urge fans still looking for accommodation to visit our official websites – there is still plenty of availability.”
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.