Vacancy During Papal Weekend Good News For Visitors, Bad News For Local Hotels
By Pat Loeb, Rahel Solomon
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With an estimated 3,000 rooms still available for the weekend of the pope's visit, hotel officials joined Mayor Michael Nutter at a news conference on Friday to encourage even local residents to be their guests.
It was more pep rally than anything else. Mayor Nutter and Hotel Association executive director Ed Grose expressed confidence the rooms would be filled.
"It's easily the most comfortable and convenient way to experience all of the papal events,"said Mayor Nutter.
"We're ready for people," Grose told the crowd. "We're planning on a once-in-a-generation event and we're still seeing bookings. The bookings are coming in."
But rates are lower. Most multi-night stay requirements have been dropped, and hotels are adding incentives such as SEPTA tokens and tickets to local attractions.
After the press conference, Mayor Nutter took to the streets, going hotel to hotel to spread the word.
"Are you going to be around the weekend of September 26th and 27th?," Nutter asked a woman at an outdoor cafe.
Grose tells CBS 3 Eyewitness News about 3,000 rooms still haven't been booked, but says in the last day or two about 1,500 rooms have been booked.
The low demand for hotel rooms apparently doomed plans to allow camping in Fairmount Park that weekend. A short-lived "Francis campground" was cancelled for lack of interest.