More room at the inns

  The occupancy rate for Yuma's hotels has decreased in recent months, according to the Arizona Office of Tourism.

  That's probably no surprise, given that a number of new hotels have opened in the past few months. And five more are under construction.

  Currently, there are about 3,500 hotels rooms available in the Yuma market, said Ken Rosevear, executive director of the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce.

  Even so, he said, he was "amazed at the number of cars in parking lots" when he took an informal drive-by survey recently. Furthermore, he said, he's been told by hoteliers that bookings are looking good for this fall.

 "We're seeing them fill up those rooms," Rosevear said. "We're getting calls at the chamber from people who can't find a room."

  The AOT in its second quarter tourism indicator newsletter reported that Yuma hotels had an average occupancy rate of 57.8 percent during March, April and May. That's a 3.6 percent decrease.

  At the same time, though, the area saw an 18.6 percent increase in the supply of rooms.

  "Definitely, we're spreading business around with more hotels," said Jeanine Rhea, manager of the Hampton Inn and chair of the Yuma Innkeepers Association. "But I don't think the demand has decreased much. I know our area is doing much better than the hotels in Phoenix."

  Between now and the spring of 2009, another five hotels will be opening their doors and adding nearly another 700 rooms to the market.

  Those new hotels include:

  • Comfort Inn and Suites in the Foothills at 10581 S. Fortuna Road is slated to open this month after construction delays. It will add 80 new rooms to the Yuma-area hotel market.

  • Homewood Suites at the corner of 16th Street and Pacific Avenue is nearing completion. While an opening date hasn't been announced, the hotel could be ready by the end of the year. The extended-stay hotel, a Hilton brand, will add 101 new rooms to the market.

  • Hilton Garden Inn, under construction off 1st Street and Madison Avenue, is expected to open by March. A key component in the city's riverfront development effort, it is adjacent to the Pivot Point Conference Center slated for completion by Halloween. The hotel will have 150 rooms.

  • A 166-room hotel is part of the Quechan Tribe’s casino resort now under construction near Andrade, Calif. The Quechan Tribe is hoping for a spring 2009 opening.

  With those additional hotels coming on board, "Now we'll have to figure out how to fill those rooms," Rhea said.

  However, she sees the oversupply of hotel rooms as an opportunity for the city.

  "In the past the city was having to turn away business," she said, because there were no hotel rooms available. "When we were sold out two or three weeks in advance, people were having to change their plans."

 That went not just for leisure travelers, but also businesses.

  With an oversupply, she said, "we'll be able to take people. The whole city benefits."

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Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.