During an April 22 meeting for The Woodlands Township board of directors, Visit The Woodlands President Nick Wolda said there are a total of seven hotels still operating at this time, though they have around a 33% occupancy rate.
"We still have money that is coming in. There are people that are staying at our hotel properties," Wolda said.
According to hospitality industry analysis company STR, occupancy rates across Montgomery County are beginning to see a slight increase in occupancy, with rates beginning at 20.7% as of March 29 and increasing to 24.5% for the week of April 12-18.
However, due to the coronavirus, rates are significantly lower compared to those from this time last year, where occupancy rates varied from 59.1% to 60.6% for the respective weeks.
While occupancy rates are increasing, STR also reports that revenue as a whole is down, with the average cost of a room in Montgomery County pricing at $67.49 as of April 18, as compared to $128.47. STR's report indicates for the time period, there has been a 78.8% decrease in overall revenue.
At the beginning of the month, The Woodlands Waterway Marriott and Convention Center reported being down to a single-digit occupancy rate, though it was staying open as long as it could.
John Mayner, Shenandoah Convention and Visitor Bureau director, said only one hotel in the city has temporarily closed, but those that remain have had to furlough or lay off the majority of their staff.
"I think all of our properties are trying to be as flexible and creative as they can be right now; that being said, whether providing discounts for medical personnel/first responders, etc., they’re trying to do all they can to stay open and be of assistance," Mayner said.
Mayner added that overall projections for the industry are not anticipated to rebound in the near term.
"We, like all of our peers in the travel and tourism industry, are trying to gird ourselves as we wait to see how things progress over the coming months while trying to support our communities and hospitality partners however we can," Mayner said.
Both Shenandoah CVB and Visit The Woodlands have been making social media pushes to drive consumers to continue supporting local businesses and hotels.
