April 17--It could be the most expensive vacation in Milwaukee: $9,900 for seven nights at the Iron Horse Hotel during Harley-Davidson's 110th anniversary celebration.

For that price, two people get a deluxe hotel room and the highest-level passes to all of the 110th events Labor Day weekend. They also get VIP parking, access to preferred viewing areas, a pass to ride in the parade, guided motorcycle tours in Milwaukee and rural areas, meals for two people, a cask of whiskey, his-and-hers bathrobes, surprise gifts and more -- taxes not included.

Add $2,500 for an upgraded "corner alcove" room at the boutique hotel that caters to motorcyclists and is a stone's throw from the Harley-Davidson Museum, which will be bustling with activity during the biker party.

Want to scale that back some? Then for $4,500, you can get four nights at the Iron Horse, including VIP passes to the 110th events for one person, and a few other perks.

Both vacation packages are once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Iron Horse General Manager Michael Falkenstein said.

Most hotels in Milwaukee and the suburbs will be sold out that weekend, according to the tourism bureau Visit Milwaukee, even as some room cancellations trickle in when people change their plans or groups of riders realize they've booked too many rooms.

"It's pretty slim pickings, and it's going to remain that way," said Brent Foerester, Visit Milwaukee vice president of sales and marketing.

Since last summer, Harley has been promoting the 110th anniversary that culminates with a party that's expected to attract more than 100,000 people. Some 125,000 bikers attended the company's 105th anniversary bash that dominated Milwaukee's lakefront in August 2008 and featured a Bruce Springsteen concert.

This time around, Harley has made the celebration more global, with events on six continents and two major parties in Rome and Milwaukee. On an international scale, the yearlong celebration is Harley's biggest ever, according to the company.

Bikers from Russia, Great Britain and Mexico have already booked rooms at the Iron Horse. Some other hotel rooms in the area are selling for about $700 a night the weekend of the 110th, according to Falkenstein.

Months ago, when rooms were more widely available, rates were closer to $200 a night.

Many people have opened their homes to bikers, for a price, and some are allowing camping in their yards.

Homeowners placing ads

On Craigslist, a Pewaukee homeowner says he's accepting up to 30 tents on 2 acres that includes a swimming pool and a garage for doing your own motorcycle repairs.

"Train tracks are on my back property line, so if a train running within 150 feet of you is a problem, don't inquire," the advertisement says, noting that the camping rates are about $100 a night per person.

The Comfort Inn & Suites on State St. contracted most of its rooms to a travel agency that Harley-Davidson has used for the 110th. If any rooms are still available, they would have to be booked through the agency, General Manager Wayne Issleb said.

Issleb says he's getting between three and five telephone calls a day from people asking about rooms during the anniversary party on Milwaukee's lakefront, only a few blocks from the Comfort Inn.

"I have had people say they would pay $500 a night. They're desperate right how," he said.

Issleb said it irks him that some hotels charge triple or more the usual rates because there's a big event that draws thousands of people.

"If you gouge someone, they will have some pretty sore memories from it," he said. "I try to be a little more moderate in my rates because I want people to return when there isn't an event in town. That is what's going to pay the bills and keep the lights on."

Some people would have booked their 110th Harley anniversary hotel room a year ago, but often hotels don't allow it, according to Issleb.

"You could be a lifelong Harley enthusiast and not find a room. That's exactly what I am hearing," he said.

Milwaukee County has about 10,000 hotel rooms, of which approximately 75% will be reserved for Harley enthusiasts Labor Day weekend, according to Visit Milwaukee.

You can still find a place to stay in some areas, including the Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha, which has a limited number of rooms available for $259 a night, with a minimum three-night stay.

It's tough to find multiple rooms at the same hotel, said Chuck Schmalzried, a Harley enthusiast and building contractor from Toledo, Ohio.

He and his friends might rent a house for the weekend, if they can find something for 10 people.

"It's been frustrating. Right now, our trip is on hold because we don't have anything at this point," Schmalzried said.

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