El Paso hotels not selling as many rooms as expected for pope’s visit

More hotel beds are empty Tuesday night than the industry expected. Although hundreds of thousands are expected to fill the El Paso side of the border, the Hotel-Motel Association says the Camino Real Downtown and the Hilton Garden Inn near UTEP are the only ones sold out.

Making matters worse, the pope’s visit may be deterring regular, weekday business.

“I don’t think they’re losing business per se, but I don’t think it has as big an impact as the hoteliers in the city thought it would,” said William Giraldez, president of the association.

Last month the assumption was El Paso hotels would profit from the Pope’s visit, and the hundreds of thousands it was suppose to attract to the area. The expectation may have slowed the usual business El Paso sees weekly, namely business trips. People not interested in seeing the pope are looking to avoid the crowds and higher room rates.

“My counterparts in other hotels, some are running behind their numbers for last year,” Giraldez said.

Also giving hoteliers a clearer, if not dimmer picture is the understanding who the Sun City’s guests will be.

“I think a lot of those people are coming from drive markets, Tucson,Phoenix, Lubbock, and Albuquerque. Markets where you can go to the event and drive home after.”

Hoteliers are holding out, hoping a late afternoon event will lead to a delayed trip back.

“So there’s still some potential pick up for tomorrow,” Giraldez said.

Giraldez says business is expected to pick back up next week.