Many local hotels say they’re booked this Labor Day weekend

Local hotels are open for business. Many are seeing a lot of business this Labor Day weekend. News Channel 3’s Caitlin Thropay went to some of our local hotels to see how they’re operating in a pandemic.

“We weren’t expecting this much of a turnout," the director of front office at The Saguaro hotel in Palm Springs Amanda Osborn told News Channel 3. "It’s great,” she added.

News Channel 3 also went to the Indian Wells Resort and the Sands Hotel which said they're completely booked this weekend as well. The Saguaro gave us an inside look at how they’re keeping guests safe.

“Before you check in we have a sanitization fog machine that sanitizes the entire room," Osborn said. "We also have Purell and hand sanitizer in each room,” she said.

From the moment you walk in the lobby sign displays say masks are required and so is social distancing.

“We know we can provide great service while making sure our guests are safe,” Osborn said.

Osborn said The Saguaro is using 50% capacity. This weekend those rooms all booked.

Out at the pool, guests are asked to socially distance outside of their group or party they are staying with.

“Once you’re in the pool you can take off your mask but we just encourage social distancing from that point on,” she said.

One guest came to celebrate Labor Day from New York City.

“We came to Palm Springs because we had been planning a trip for a while and we were a little nervous just about the precautions and all the details associated with social distancing and we did our research and saw that everywhere here was accommodating to the guidelines,” Matthew Zani told News Channel 3.

Read California's COVID-19 guidelines for hotels here: https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-hotels--en.pdf

In the evening, the hotel brought in a live band and guests listened from their balcony.

“It seems like everyone is having a great time and it makes it seem like it’s almost back to normal but now it’s just a safer normal,” Osborn said.

We asked Osborn how the pandemic has impacted local hotels.

“Everyone struggled," she said. "All of Palm Springs struggled but the great thing is we’re all trying to work together to make sure everyone comes back on top," she said. "It’s always sunny in Palm Springs and we try to keep it that way," she added.