Tucson hotels seeing uptick in leisure travel as COVID-19 begins to ease | Business News

[ad_1]

“What we marketed during the pandemic are the wide open spaces,” DeRaad said.

At the same time, many people seem to be thoroughly investigating hotels in potential destinations, said an official from one of Tucson’s largest hotel management companies.

“We’re seeing more and more people contact the hotel directly – people want to know if you’re open and they want to know what you are doing to ensure their safety and health,” said SueAnn Lemon, executive vice president of sales and Marketing for Focus Hospitality Management.

Like other hotels, the seven local hotels that Focus manages suffered from a drop in occupancy last year, Lemon said, as the loss of business travel and vacationers was offset somewhat by bookings made by travelers and city workers for major construction projects.

In July, despite the pandemic, Focus opened The Tuxon, a 112-room boutique hotel under the Design Hotels brand, on the west side of Interstate 10 between Congress Street and 22nd Street.

“With a brand new hotel on the market, the start-up phase took a little longer,” said Lemon, adding that the modern themed hotel is gaining momentum and visibility.

Overall, Lemon said, the company has recently seen an increase in leisure travel and travelers looking to book short stays at its hotels, which include The Tuxon, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton and the Best Western Hotel & Suites at Tucson International Airport; the Comfort Suites, the Hampton Inn and Suites, and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott in the Tucson Mall; and the Hampton Inn and Suites at the Williams Center.

[ad_2]