OLYMPIC CHILL

Jim Mockford, general manager of Vancouver's Listel Hotel, looks forward to hosting the world on his doorstep in February. The 2010 Winter Olympics offer respite from an economic maelstrom that has forced him to cut prices to entice visitors. His rates are down 20% this summer -- but for the 17 days of the Olympics, he's virtually sold out his 129 rooms. In Olympics past, corporate sponsors were big spenders. They'd think nothing of shelling out for a whole restaurant at a time, and showering their clients with fine dining and alcohol. In order to be listed as a Vancouver Organizing Committee-participating hotel, operators were required to take their average February corporate room rate from 2005, 2006 and 2007, then tack on up to an extra 18.5% to allow for inflation and a premium surcharge for the Olympics. Effectively, it means the average room rates are $200 for Vancouver.