he hotel trade is among those that have been clobbered by the novel coronavirus. Nationally the industry has taken a $31 billion hit and has laid off 70% of the workforce.
Holly Clapham, Chief Marketing Officer with Houston First, says business is slowly returning. “As of June 21st, the 28-Day trend for the Houston market was 39.5% occupancy. Compare that to May when the Houston occupancy was at 32%.”
Clapham says hotels are partnering with Houston First, offering 63 packages that are offering outstanding values. If you’ve ever wanted a luxurious night of pampering in a high-end hotel this might be the ideal time to take advantage of the deals. If you have an anniversary and want to make it special…it’s an idea.
Summers are a slow time for Houston hotels in the best of years. The Rodeo and Houston Marathon bring in a lot of guests when the weather is more conducive to taking in the sights. “We’re anticipating we could see a plateau in July on any normal given year July is slightly lower than June,” says Clapham.
Experts anticipate it will take eleven quarters for the industry to rebound globally and won’t return to pre-pandemic occupancy levels until 2023.
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