Yuma hoteliers promote hometown as vacation bargain

Yuma may be a hot spot, but it's also a cool place.

That's the message local hoteliers are trying to get out to Arizona residents and even locals in need of a little break away from home who may not be able to spring for an Alaskan cruise or the beaches of Hawaii.

In their own version of shop locally, the campaign being promoted by the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce, hotels are encouraging people to save their gas money and instead book a local room and spend their mini-vacation by the pool or checking out the many fun new things there are to do right here in Yuma.

"People are still traveling," said Jeanine Rhea, head of Yuma Innkeepers Association. "They're just staying closer to home."

Real close, the association's member hotels are hoping.

And they're doing what they can to encourage them through a promotion called staycation. Participating hotels are offering staycationers 20 percent off the usual room rate for weekends along with other incentives.

Holiday Inn is offering free kids' meals, well-stocked popcorn machine and big screen television sets to watch a movie.

Dinner is partly on the house for staycation guests at Hampton Inn, which is providing them a $10 gift certificate to Olive Garden.

Clarion Suites throws in the towel, literally, providing its staycation families with free beach towels and noodles for the kids.

In the process, they're also spreading the word that, indeed, there are things to do in Yuma thanks to some enterprising entrepreneurs, like Yuma River Tubing, Jet Rent for jet skis, Yuma Fun Factory, Yuma Kayaks, Yuma River Tours, Tranquil Sensations balloon rides and off-roading with Silver Bullet Motorsports.

People can enjoy the just-opened Yuma Valley Aquatic Center or the recently developed parks along the Colorado River. Or they can catch up on some local history, wet a hook or go out to a ballgame. For more adult entertainment, there's the new Mineshaft and Hooligan's.

"We want to let local people know if they can't afford to go out of town, they can stay in a hotel, be pampered, let someone else make breakfast and play in the pool," said Rebecca McCoy, senior sales manager for Clarion Suites. "We want to remind locals they can enjoy a nice little vacation without leaving town."

And some are taking the hotels up on their offers.

"Families aren't able to leave town but they want to do something for their kids so come stay here," said Paul Rogers, manager of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. He figures locals have been booking from 12 to 15 rooms a weekend. They come Friday afternoon and stay until late checkout Sunday.

In between, he said, the kids practically live in the pool. "I'm amazed how long they can stay in the water."

Rhea said one couple stayed a weekend and came back for the July 4th holiday weekend.

"Summer traditionally is low occupancy," she said. "This is helping get a few more heads in beds."

Given the most recent hotel occupancy report released by the Arizona Office of Tourism, that would be a good thing.

For May, the Yuma County hotel occupancy rate was 40.9 percent, down 25.1 from May of 2008. Year to date through May, the local rate was 58.2 percent, down 13.3 percent from the same time in 2008.

The first quarter of 2009, Yuma County was the only county in Arizona to post a positive demand, said Chris Bedinger, events coordinator for the Yuma Visitors Bureau. The demand dropped in April and May dropped more. At the same time, yet another hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn, opened its doors.

"We struggle in the summer," he said. "We need to come up with ways to get people to come here."

He believes the lure will be the Colorado River that is becoming increasingly attractive with the East and West Wetlands, Gateway Park and the riverfront development.

Gateway Park has proven to be a magnet for Yumans looking for a respite from the heat, he noted, estimating that hundreds of people are there every weekend.

His hope is that people passing by Yuma on Interstate 8 will see all that activity and wonder what's happening. "Maybe they'll stop and see what is going on."

But the local hotels' efforts to fill their rooms aren't focused just on staycations. They're also trying to entice people from around the state to come discover what Yuma has to offer.

McCoy recently attended a travel show put on by Arizona Highways in Phoenix.

"I immediately noticed people coming in were shying away from my area," she said. "I found out very quickly that Yuma was not a destination that most would consider to visit. Not one person could name something that they would like to do in Yuma."

She proceeded to set them straight.

"Yuma is a fine city," she said, "and we hope people will begin to rediscover the many things we have to offer."

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