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Stays down at lodging facilities

HEIDI DESCH | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 6 months AGO
by HEIDI DESCH
Heidi Desch is features editor and covers Flathead County for the Daily Inter Lake. She previously served as managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot, spending 10 years at the newspaper and earning honors as best weekly newspaper in Montana. She was a reporter for the Hungry Horse News and has served as interim editor for The Western News and Bigfork Eagle. She is a graduate of the University of Montana. She can be reached at hdesch@dailyinterlake.com or 406-758-4421. | September 2, 2020 1:00 AM

Whitefish lodging facilities appear to be seeing fewer guests this summer and those staying are booking their trip later than normal.

A survey conducted by the Whitefish Convention and Visitors Bureau at the end of last month surveyed hotel and motel owners creating a comparison between bookings for summer 2020 and summer 2019 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 16 lodging establishments that participated.

The survey found that for July three-quarters of the motel and hotels in Whitefish that responded were down up to 50% for occupancy for the month.

Advanced reservations for the month of August, the survey found, were also down — 25% reported a 50% or more decrease in reservations and half of hotel and motel owners reported a 25% to 50% decrease in reservations.

The WCVB since mid-March has been monitoring the economic impact on businesses in Whitefish as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The window for advanced hotel reservations has narrowed dramatically compared to a typical year, according to an analysis by the WCVB. Typically summer reservations are made months in advance, but now they are being made in a matter of days, the organization notes, in a trend that could continue through the rest of the summer.

Looking to September, more than 60% of hoteliers said they are down more than 25% in advanced reservations for that month. But the rest were down less than 25% or actually have more advanced reservations for the month than last year.

While stays were down by up to 50% in July for most lodging establishments, during a survey in May half of respondents at that time reported advanced reservations for July were down 75% or more.

A survey conducted the WCVB and the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce in March found that Whitefish business owners estimated a revenue loss of $732,000 per day in March compared to last year.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock in March issued a stay at home order that closed all, but essential businesses. The order was lifted on April 26 and the state began a phased reopening.

On June 1, Montana entered phase two of reopening and a 14-day travel quarantine for non-essential travel into the state was also lifted. The City of Whitefish on June 1 also lifted its ban on most lodging stays related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WCVB has conducted several surveys of lodging facilities through the spring and summer months.

During March, it found that occupancy was down about 30% from the prior year.

In April and May when stays were restricted to guests for essential travel only under city ordinance, occupancy was down 50%.

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