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Local hoteliers this week have not seen the windfall that many hoped for as Super Bowl 50 approaches in Santa Clara Feb. 7.
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Holiday Inn Express Manager Ashis Roy said his current slump (compared to the same time last year) might have to do with the fact that Super Bowl fans are the only travelers in the Bay Area from now until next week.
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“A lot of corporations have probably postponed their travel plans because they knew it’s going to be so crazy in the Bay Area,” Roy said. The Holiday Inn, like many hotels in Morgan Hill, regularly hosts large crowds of traveling professionals who visit the South Bay for industry conferences and other business events.
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But this week, less than 50 percent of Holiday Inn’s rooms have been occupied, Roy said. Based on reservations, he projects less than 25 percent occupancy for the next six days.
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“That’s abnormally slow,” Roy said. “A lot of people might decide last minute, but we don’t know.”
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At Comfort Inn, also on Condit Road, General Manager Sunit Doshi said, “We have seen no difference” in vacancy rates compared to the same time last year.
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He could only guess why the travelers are not as present as some expected. “Maybe people are frightened of the pricing rates, (or) maybe they just want to be with the crowds,” Doshi said.
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Many hotels in the region have raised their prices substantially in advance of the Super Bowl, Doshi added. Comfort Inn’s prices are up to $199 per night, from their normal rate of $139. Some hotels closer to Levi’s Stadium, the Super Bowl 50 venue, are charging as much as $1,000 per night.
County public safety on alert
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Santa Clara County officials, anticipating an increase in emergency calls during the week of Super Bowl 50, announced Feb. 2 that it activated the county’s Emergency Operations Center to prepare for any possible public safety related impacts.
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“The Office of Emergency Services and other county Departments have been meeting frequently with local agencies and area hospitals to prepare for Super Bowl 50,” said County Executive Jeffrey Smith. “We expect a significant increase in visitors to the Bay Area and the County is well-prepared to ensure day-to-day County services are not impacted.”
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As part of overall preparedness, the Public Health Department has been part of a working group to determine staffing, training, and resource needs to respond to possible public health incidents that could arise during this event period, reads a county press release. Other county agencies have similarly been part of various SB50 working groups preparing for possible impacts of SB50 related activities.
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The County Fire Department, Sheriff’s Office, and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, among others, have increased staffing levels. These departments are prepared to respond to an increase in the number of calls for service, increase in patients, or an emergency event, county staff said.
