2011 WMA Championships in Sacramento offer a wide range of affordable housing options for athletes.

The Sacramento Sports Commission has reserved more than 20,000 rooms at 21 Sacramento-area hotels as well as 514 dormitory beds on the Sacramento State campus for the 2011 WMA Championships, which will be held July 6-17.

With organizers anticipating a field of 5,000 athletes, visitors are urged to reserve housing as soon as possible online at www.wma2011.com. Hotel and dormitory reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We’re confident that our housing bloc exceeds any of the previous WMA events in terms of location, comfort and affordability,” said John McCasey, chair of Sacramento 2011, the local organizing committee. “All of the hotels that we’ve reserved are located within a short walk of train or bus stations that connect to each of the three competition venues, and the dormitories are especially convenient since more than 80 percent of the WMA events will be held at Sacramento State.”

Most of the hotels are located within 10 miles of the main venue at Sacramento State. A number of hotels – the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza, Embassy Suites, Citizen, Clarion, Holiday Inn Express and Marriott Residence Inn – are located in downtown Sacramento and offer a variety of dining and entertainment options.

Hotel rates range from $99 to $159 (U.S. dollars) per night. Complimentary breakfast is included in most cases, and many of the room rates remain the same for double, triple and quadruple occupancy. By comparison at the 2009 WMA Championships in Lahti, Finland, the cost for one bed was 100€, or $139. In Sacramento, visitors will be able to secure rooms for approximately the same rate for two to four people.

Athlete credentials provide for transportation to and from the hotels to the competition venues. Athletes reserving rooms outside the bloc obtained by the local organization committee will be responsible for their own transportation.

The American River Courtyard dormitories at Sacramento State offer apartment-style suites that vary from a one-person studio to double occupancy, two bedroom/two bath suites that sleep up to four. Also available are single occupancy, five bedroom/two bath suites. The dormitories are located within a 10-minute walk of the main stadium.

Dorms are priced per bed and range from $60 to $80 per day based on the type of room selected. Amenities include furnished units, living and dining room areas, air conditioning, kitchenettes with refrigerators, showers, and swimming pools.

A meal plan will be available at the American River Courtyard. The price has yet to be determined but will be posted at www.wma2011.com as soon as it’s available.

For more information, and to reserve a dorm room today, please visit www.wma2011.com. For questions about dormitory housing, e-mail the local organizing committee at dorms@wma2011.com.

Please e-mail info@wma2011.com for any questions regarding registration for the 2011 WMA Championships.