Occupancy at hotels in the Columbus Metropolitan area have remained lower since the pandemic started in 2020, and more challenges could slow a recovery.
鈥淲e are not only below where we want to be this year, but we鈥檙e below pre-pandemic numbers for 2019,鈥� said President and CEO of the , Joe Savarise. 鈥淎ll credible industry analysis points to the fact that it will be into 2023 before we start to see those numbers come back to pre-pandemic level.鈥�
Savarise explained that occupancy rates through September 2021 were at 51.5%. That is nearly a 16.5% drop from the same period in 2019, when occupancy stood at 67.9%.
鈥淥ur recovery process will be prolonged due to the nature of our business which includes advance bookings,鈥� said Savarise. 鈥淧eople that plan events and conferences and conventions well in advance.鈥�
Savarise said while Columbus does have an advantage for its location near other large metropolitan cities, it has issued a mask mandate that Cleveland and Cincinnati have not imposed.
"We have a mask mandate in the city of Columbus which puts us at a disadvantage,鈥� said Savarise. 鈥淲e have seen events cancel or postpone for that reason. That鈥檚 an impact on the bottom line.鈥�
More hotel rooms are opening as construction continues in the downtown and Short North areas.
鈥淭here were at least 12 hotels that opened up during the pandemic year of 2020,鈥� said Savarise. 鈥淭here were an additional about 9 hotels that have opened in the greater Columbus market in 2021, and that all puts additional strain on our overall inventory at a time when there鈥檚 decreased business.鈥�
Finding enough workers is also a problem in particular for those who run the bed and breakfast venues in smaller communities.
鈥淭hey cannot sell all the hotel rooms that they have in their properties because they can鈥檛 turn them over,鈥� said Savarise. 鈥淭hey can鈥檛 clean them. They can鈥檛 service them given the labor crisis that we face. So that absolutely is going to be a problem.鈥�
Some venues are thinking more creatively about how to attract customers. Savarise said they have offered more inclusive packages for leisure travelers and opened up outdoor spaces on rooftops.
Savarise said he expects hotel business will continue to be slow in 2022 as businesses limit travel, but he said Ohio鈥檚 attractions like Hocking Hills, Lake Erie, Amish Country, and others will remain popular destinations.
