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Ohio Football Topic
Topic: Hotels
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Athens
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Posted: 7/20/2014 6:51 PM
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I was in Athens last week at the OU Inn and I was kind of curious to see what other hotel options were out there. Looking at this fall there is almost no availability for fall football weekend. Then I checked through some non-football weekends and found there was no availability for those weekend either. In an article it said that Athens County did about $130 million dollars of tourism last year. To draw a comparison to Athens County I found an article about the county Virginia Tech is located in. Its a bigger county with 90,000 people. I was surprised to learn that they only did $90 million a year in tourism, even with filling a 70,000 seat football stadium 7 weekends a year. Blacksburg and neighboring Christianburg though has about 1500 hotel rooms with several 6+ story Hilton Garden Inn level hotels. Blacksburg itself has about 900 rooms. With the new Fairfield Inn Athens will have about 750 rooms in town about the same as Parkersburg. The big difference I see with VT is that its very near I-81 and as a major stop the larger hotels will come into town where they won't in Athens. The same local guy who got the Fairfield Inn project rolling also was behind the Hampton, Super 8 and Baymont. If it wasn't for him I don't know if anything would be coming into town at all. I could see a Country Inn and Suites doing well in Athens for visiting faculty if it was walkable to campus. Without interstate traffic it will be tough to imagine anything else coming in.
The Optimist
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Posted: 7/20/2014 7:24 PM
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Uncle Wes wrote:expand_more
I was in Athens last week at the OU Inn and I was kind of curious to see what other hotel options were out there. Looking at this fall there is almost no availability for fall football weekend. Then I checked through some non-football weekends and found there was no availability for those weekend either. In an article it said that Athens County did about $130 million dollars of tourism last year. To draw a comparison to Athens County I found an article about the county Virginia Tech is located in. Its a bigger county with 90,000 people. I was surprised to learn that they only did $90 million a year in tourism, even with filling a 70,000 seat football stadium 7 weekends a year. Blacksburg and neighboring Christianburg though has about 1500 hotel rooms with several 6+ story Hilton Garden Inn level hotels. Blacksburg itself has about 900 rooms. With the new Fairfield Inn Athens will have about 750 rooms in town about the same as Parkersburg. The big difference I see with VT is that its very near I-81 and as a major stop the larger hotels will come into town where they won't in Athens. The same local guy who got the Fairfield Inn project rolling also was behind the Hampton, Super 8 and Baymont. If it wasn't for him I don't know if anything would be coming into town at all. I could see a Country Inn and Suites doing well in Athens for visiting faculty if it was walkable to campus. Without interstate traffic it will be tough to imagine anything else coming in.

The highway point you make is interesting. I would think that with 33 being a nonstop highway now through Nelsonville you could reason that more people would cut down through Athens going from west (like Indy) through Columbus if they eventually are heading south on 77.



 
sargentfan
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Posted: 7/21/2014 10:47 AM
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Can always try to find some non-hotel lodging

www.athensohio.com/wheretostay/bbs-cabins-and-cottages
Pataskala
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Posted: 7/21/2014 11:01 AM
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VT's slightly larger than Ohio (31,000+) but being the only real tech school between Atlanta and Boston they host a lot of conferences and stuff.  Plus, they have one big advantage: all dirt roads lead to Blacksburg.
colobobcat66
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Posted: 7/21/2014 12:50 PM
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Having been on a Tourist & convention Board at one time, I can tell you that you shouldn't put much credence in the tourist numbers. There's definitely more than one way to come up with the numbers.
Bobcatbob
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Posted: 7/21/2014 12:56 PM
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colobobcat66 wrote:expand_more
Having been on a Tourist & convention Board at one time, I can tell you that you shouldn't put much credence in the tourist numbers. There's definitely more than one way to come up with the numbers.


I have a similar experience and I concur.  The only thing that might be more suspect than the "annual visitors" number is the old saw "This event alone brings $XX million into the local economy...".   Not to be confused with the "The money from this event passes through the local economy X times, providing benefit to N local businesses...."

And I know there are real economic studies to "prove" this stuff.  The trouble is that the people spewing the numbers aren't real economists.
The Optimist
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Posted: 7/21/2014 7:21 PM
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Maybe they are hotel rooms sold and not hotel rooms used. 
OakStreet
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Posted: 7/22/2014 4:14 PM
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I don't understand why the hotels would be full even on non-football weekends. This is a big change from just a few years ago when it wasn't nearly as difficult to find a room on the weekends in Athens.
Athens
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Posted: 7/22/2014 6:19 PM
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The Optimist wrote:expand_more
I was in Athens last week at the OU Inn and I was kind of curious to see what other hotel options were out there. Looking at this fall there is almost no availability for fall football weekend. Then I checked through some non-football weekends and found there was no availability for those weekend either. In an article it said that Athens County did about $130 million dollars of tourism last year. To draw a comparison to Athens County I found an article about the county Virginia Tech is located in. Its a bigger county with 90,000 people. I was surprised to learn that they only did $90 million a year in tourism, even with filling a 70,000 seat football stadium 7 weekends a year. Blacksburg and neighboring Christianburg though has about 1500 hotel rooms with several 6+ story Hilton Garden Inn level hotels. Blacksburg itself has about 900 rooms. With the new Fairfield Inn Athens will have about 750 rooms in town about the same as Parkersburg. The big difference I see with VT is that its very near I-81 and as a major stop the larger hotels will come into town where they won't in Athens. The same local guy who got the Fairfield Inn project rolling also was behind the Hampton, Super 8 and Baymont. If it wasn't for him I don't know if anything would be coming into town at all. I could see a Country Inn and Suites doing well in Athens for visiting faculty if it was walkable to campus. Without interstate traffic it will be tough to imagine anything else coming in.

The highway point you make is interesting. I would think that with 33 being a nonstop highway now through Nelsonville you could reason that more people would cut down through Athens going from west (like Indy) through Columbus if they eventually are heading south on 77.

There is a decent amount of local traffic on US 33 as the only real artery for getting anywhere in the hocking valley. There are some trucks that transverse the Columbus to Charleston route, state capital to state capital. Athens for an Ohio town has quite a few hotel rooms already between about 10 hotels. The average town of Athens size is lucky to have 2 hotels to stay at. Lancaster I believe only has 4 hotels and its a much larger city. No interstate going through Lancaster, too close to Columbus and no major tourist attractions.
Athens
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Posted: 7/22/2014 6:26 PM
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Bobcatbob wrote:expand_more
Having been on a Tourist & convention Board at one time, I can tell you that you shouldn't put much credence in the tourist numbers. There's definitely more than one way to come up with the numbers.


I have a similar experience and I concur.  The only thing that might be more suspect than the "annual visitors" number is the old saw "This event alone brings $XX million into the local economy...".   Not to be confused with the "The money from this event passes through the local economy X times, providing benefit to N local businesses...."

And I know there are real economic studies to "prove" this stuff.  The trouble is that the people spewing the numbers aren't real economists.

Its a problem but its a problem for all counties across the board. If one county is saying it does 100 million in tourism while another county is saying it does 10 million then I think you can reasonably derive that the 100 million dollar tourism county has more dollars flowing into it than the one that does 10 million. OU and VT are pretty comparable rural Appalachian college town communities in this case.

 
catfan28
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Posted: 7/22/2014 6:27 PM
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It all comes down to demand. If it really is to the point of selling out every weekend, it only makes sense that the new Fairfield Inn is opening. But it certainly won't solve the problem.

Nevertheless, if there truly is demand that high (and it's not hotels playing shenanigans to jack up rates)...I'd have to think there will be more hotels coming soon.

I can attest that the Blacksburg area has a TON of hotels (and some rather large ones) in Virginia. But they have a 70,000 seat stadium...we don't.
Athens
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Posted: 7/22/2014 7:19 PM
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OakStreet wrote:expand_more
I don't understand why the hotels would be full even on non-football weekends. This is a big change from just a few years ago when it wasn't nearly as difficult to find a room on the weekends in Athens.

What is available hotel rooms this fall semester on Sat night using Expedia? 3 weekends are showing no availability with very limited availability between Labor Day and Veteran's Day.

8/23: OU Inn ($153), Hampton ($149), Baymont ($149), Days Inn, Knights Inn, Hometown
8/30: Hampton ($149), Baymont ($149), Days Inn, Knights Inn, Hometown
9/06: Hampton ($139), Days Inn, Knight Inn
9/13: Hampton ($139), Days Inn, Knights Inn
9/20: Days Inn
9/27: None
10/4: Hampton ($149), Days Inn, Knights Inn
10/11: None
10/18: Days Inn, Knights Inn
10/25: OU Inn ($189), Holiday Inn ($149)
11/01: Holiday Inn ($189), Hampton ($149), Days Inn ($122)
11/08: None
11/15: OU Inn ($153), Hampton ($149), Holiday Inn ($136), Knights Inn, Days Inn
11/22: Hampton Inn ($149), OU Inn ($127), Days Inn, Knights Inn
11/29: Hampton ($149), Holiday Inn ($136), OU Inn ($127), Knights Inn, Days Inn

Prices for Wednesday 7/23 at these hotels. Closest to normal prices

Holiday Inn ($139)
Hampton Inn ($123)
OU Inn ($122)
Baymont Inn ($89)
Hometown ($65)
Knights Inn ($63)
Days Inn ($63)
Athens
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Posted: 7/22/2014 7:35 PM
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catfan28 wrote:expand_more
It all comes down to demand. If it really is to the point of selling out every weekend, it only makes sense that the new Fairfield Inn is opening. But it certainly won't solve the problem.

Nevertheless, if there truly is demand that high (and it's not hotels playing shenanigans to jack up rates)...I'd have to think there will be more hotels coming soon.

I can attest that the Blacksburg area has a TON of hotels (and some rather large ones) in Virginia. But they have a 70,000 seat stadium...we don't.

Findlay has put up a lot of hotels in recent years. Some that are 5-6 stories including a new Hilton Garden Inn. What does Findlay have in common with the Blacksburg are, interstate traffic. Blacksburg proper only has 850 hotel rooms and Athens with the new Fairfield Inn will have 750 rooms in town. The only way I see another hotel coming into Athens is if they can get something like a Homewood Suites that handles extended stays and provides lunch, dinner and breakfast buffets. Then OU could put its camps up during the off season knowing they would have food on site. Another full service restaurant hotel might be able to make it since the food is so crappy in town but I doubt it with 3 already in the county (OU Inn, Hocking Inn and Burr Oak). Parkersburg and Marietta both have one hotel with a full service restaurant too. What I have heard is there is no point to having a restaurant in a smaller hotel if there are quality restaurants around locally. 

 
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