Hotels in the Chapel Hill area have been taking it one day at a time since the emergence of COVID-19 last spring.
Recently, times have gotten a little tougher with UNC's decision to begin the 2020 season without fans in Kenan Stadium. UNC athletics announced Tuesday that seven percent of the stadium can be filled throughout October, but it will still be a far cry from the business the hospitality industry generally sees on game day.
During a typical season, hotels in the area are inundated with guests. This year, Don Strickland, the area general manager of Hampton Inn and Suites in Chapel Hill off Farrington Road, has been experiencing firsthand a different environment surrounding the town and his hotel this season.
“Football season was something that the staff and all of our hotels look forward to here in Chapel Hill,” Strickland said. “There is usually a lot of excitement in the area and a lot of people visiting. It is a good opportunity for our hotel to let people experience what Chapel Hill and Carrboro are really all about.”
With restrictions in place and coronavirus still spreading, many people are not able to experience the Chapel Hill area this fall as they have in the past, and will have to wait to experience the same game day atmosphere.
Sept. 12 marked the home opener for North Carolina football, with the Tar Heels kicking the 2020 season off in front of an empty Kenan Stadium. Jennifer Norris, the sales director of the Graduate Hotel on Franklin Street, saw a dramatic change in hotel traffic during the weekend, which would normally be full of excitement for fans and people involved in the hospitality industry.
“Nobody’s traveling because of COVID and because of the strict restrictions in the stadium,” Norris said. “So, we definitely lost some guests that would typically be staying with us.”
With the decrease in traffic, hotels have been trying to stay afloat. Chapel Hill Courtyard by Marriott general manager Blake Baker said he has been doing his best to tread water and stay positive during this time, while helping the community in the process.
“We’re fortunate that we are locally owned and managed right here in Chapel Hill so we have been able to hold on and stay open and work with and support the community and University in whatever way we can do," Baker said. "It's a bigger picture than just COVID.”
