Memorial Day Traffic Heavy, Holiday Boost Hotel Business
The roadways were packed, as travelers passed thru the valley Monday, and tourism was welcomed by businesses throughout the weekend.
More than 32 million people hit the road this Memorial Day weekend, which is a five percent increase from last year, according to AAA.
Some drivers expected things to slow down significantly the closer they got to Los Angeles. But, overall, desert hotels reported a strong Memorial Day weekend, and a successful unofficial close to a busy travel and vacation season.
Both large and small, hotels such as the Hyatt Regency Palm Springs and the Casa Cody Country Inn, were filled to capacity from Friday through Monday evening.
“A lot of people who might have gone to Hawaii or Vegas are coming to Palm Springs for a drive-in,” said David Hill, the general manager of the Hyatt.
“We also have a great number of Europeans who come,” said Elissa Goforth, a manager at Casa Cody. “They don’t care how hot it is. They have’t seen sun for a long time.”
Hotels are expecting a better than usual summer season, because the Coachella Valley offers a cheap getaway for locals and tourists in surrounding states.
