Bendigo accommodation booked out, businesses hammered over hectic Easter weekend

Accommodation facilities were booked out or in high demand, while cafes, pubs and restaurants have been churning through customers as thousands gathered to take part in the festival's many activities.

The Hotel Shamrock was booked out not only for Easter, but also for the past six weekends - and for the next two weekends, an employee told the Bendigo Advertiser.

Rooms costing between $150 and $300 a night were being taken by guests "from overseas and Melbourne as well as regional areas".

The Oval Motel, on Barnard St, with rooms from around $130, had sold out on Saturday and was busy on Sunday and Monday, co-owner Carolyn Gibson said, with guests from Broken Hill, Coffs Harbour, Adelaide and beyond.

Many of them had already booked again for next year.

"The spirit was certainly there for Easter," Ms Gibson said.

"My husband went to most events and he's saying it's the best we've had, apart from the weather."

Bendigo Motel Association president Jamie Scott described the weekend as "a good solid one for the motels", including his own Quality Inn Colonial.

Accommodation available through the Visitor Centre was "pretty much booked out", according to City of Greater Bendigo tourism and major events manager Terry Karamaloudis.

Mr Karamaloudis pointed out that a large number of visitors were also staying with friends and family, including at his own house.

"There is a very big visiting friends and relatives component of visitation," he said.

"It generally hovers at around 50 to 55 per cent of our visitation.

"That figure's been consistent for well over 10 years, and we're happy because people returning to see friends and relatives spend time in the city and go away and become even greater ambassadors for our city, and spread the amazing Bendigo story."

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Bendigo Original Pie Shop owner Grant Findlay described both Saturday and Sunday as "huge" for the business, with about 800 customers served on each day.

"It was shoulder-to-shoulder and for many hours we had queues out the door," he said.

"There were people everywhere and even though it was drizzly on Saturday, people were upbeat.

"All the customers were appreciative of us being open and there was just generally a good feeling."

The Bendigo Art Gallery had 1036 people through the doors on Saturday, and 927 on Sunday.

Customer service representative Antonia Glavic said while visitor numbers wouldn't rival those who flocked to the gallery for the Elvis exhibition, they were extremely high compared to "a regular weekend, when we might have maybe 200 people".

A lot of people were coming to see the Australiana exhibition, she said, and were happy to realise it was free.

"That always puts a smile on their face," Ms Glavic said.

Ms Glavic said staff were waiting to see what would happen on Monday in terms of final numbers for the Easter long weekend.

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