Hoteliers in the region enjoyed decent bookings and midweek activity until the bubble burst in mid-2008. “Then the bottom fell out,” said Dale Polmateer, director of sales for Holiday Inn in Fishkill. “What I”™m seeing in the Smith Travel Research Report is that next year will be a ”˜leveling off”™ for the hotel industry, and we probably won”™t see a boost until 2011.”
At the DoubleTree Hotel in Tarrytown, “For us, occupancy was up, but rates were flat,” said Rich Friedman, general manager. “Our 30,000 square feet of meeting space has been our savior. The social scene is still there, but people are more cost-conscious.”
Midweek corporate travel has been flat “and everyone wants to re-negotiate rates,” Friedman said. “We”™ve made some adjustments, but we”™ve set a bottom number for ourselves. We have come up with some creative packages and value-added packages. Last year, we saw a lot of cancellations. This year, we have had less business but no cancellations. Has it been a strange year? Definitely.”
Joe Santore, general manager of Tarrytown House Estate & Conference Center, said business is picking up, but not without some changes.
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“We”™ve seen an increase in our weekend leisure, bed and breakfast and historical staycation-type market since the recession,” Santore said. “And we”™ve seen an increase of end-of-year and beginning-of-the-year meetings. The recession is still fundamentally with us, but I would say we”™re seeing a return to the necessity of having people meet face to face.”
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The Tarrytown House recently introduced a day-meeting special package designed for companies within some 25 miles of the property.
“It”™s designed so the meeting planner knows right up front what the cost per attendee is,” Santore said. “We also do à la carte meetings and customized packages.”
Other tweaks include sustainable choices, such as bottled water or filtered water stations for meeting guests.
The estate”™s emphasis on eco-friendly practices just scored it a place on the first list of the New York State Green Hotel Certification Pilot Program.
“We found that the construction of these mansions was inherently energy-efficient,” Santore said of the property”™s Biddle Estate, which belonged to the Duke tobacco family of North Carolina. “There are 18-inch-thick granite stone walls so the heat retention and insulation are incredible.”
William Maloney, general manager of the Pearl River Hilton in Rockland County, knows he”™s not alone. “The hospitality industry has had a very difficult 2009, but so has almost every other industry. Our occupancy has been down about 10 to 15 percent. Overall, I feel we are holding our own, considering the economy,” he said.
“People are still planning social events,” Maloney said. “What they are looking for is quality, and we are providing that. We”™ve been very fortunate to have good word-of-mouth from regular customers.
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“We”™ve just done some major renovations to the hotel during this down time. A new restaurant and a bar that will be opened in time for New Year”™s Eve; we”™re very excited about that. While it may not seem to be the time to reinvest, we have confidence the market is going to come back. We”™ve been here for 20 years ”“ and we expect to be here for whatever comes.”?For Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, summer”™s relentless rain didn”™t help, particularly since the beauty of Mohonk is its hiking trails and gardens. “2009 was definitely an ”˜off”™ year,” said Nina Smiley, director of marketing. “We saw a major reduction in the travel industry and the wet weather hurt tourism in general all over the Hudson Valley.
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“We did some special promotions,” she said. “Since we opened in 1869, we had a special rate of $186.90 for the night, which included all meals and many amenities. That was very popular. We have seen a slight uptick in group bookings…and like everyone else, we”™re are looking forward to the economy turning around and cautiously optimistic next year.”
“What can I say about 2010? Ask me in a few months,” Friedman said wryly. “Right now, we are making quarterly projections. The first quarter of 2010 looks good. I think at this juncture, most businesses are hoping for the best. We opened in 2007, so we had a little catching up to do. Our catering facilities are in full swing now, so we”™re hoping 2010 will be a much better year for us, especially for weddings and other occasions.”
Polmateer said Fishkill”™s Holiday Inn is unique in that “we are the only full-service hotel in the area and also the largest. Rooms that typically went for $120 to $140 in 2008 are now $100 and under. We have been doing a lot of business with the local chambers of commerce, so that”™s really helped. We”™re going to continue to reach out to the corporate base in the area and to be flexible with rates. Our occupancy was down 3.9 percent for 2009, so we are thrilled with that. We”™re just hoping we pull out of this recession sooner than later.”
Staff reporter Kelly Liyakasa contributed to this report.
