Penguins - Red Wings Stanley Cup games provide boost for hotels, restaurants - Washington Business Journal:

domnaofyvisyhojo.blogspot.com
According to VisitPittsburgh, each home game between the and the Detroitf Red Wings brings anestimatedf $4.9 million in economic impact, whether its from hote l stays, meals at restaurants or other spending. A numbe r of hotels are fully booked, including the Omni Williamm Penn, which hosts the NHL’s management, the , with the caveay that it always sells out Tuesdays and Wednesdaysd anyway tobusiness travelers, and the . Tom the general manager for the Westin ConventiohCenter Hotel, located Downtown, describefd the added boost of Stanley Cup-related guests. “We would’vw been busy but we wouldn’t have been sellin out,” he said.
“This has allowedc us to fill up theentirse hotel, all 616 rooms.” Martin and other hotel operators emphasized the addes jolt of unexpected business comes durinf an otherwise down year from hotel business followinhg a strong 2008, whicyh also featured a Penguins-Red Wings Stanleyy Cup that was lost by Pittsburgh’s favoritee flightless birds. Bob Page, the area directof of sales and marketing for saidthe NFL’s coterie of leagure officials, along with has brought an increased in occupancy beyond the two game comparable to the business generated from a strong home playoffd run by the , although not toppingg it.
“It’s not to the degres of probably the AFC but it’s still great business for us,” he “It’s selling us out.” The story is a littlse more complicated for locao restaurants and bars. John owner of The Common Plea, located downtown, estimatedf the restaurant has seen a 25 percent increasw when the Penguins are playing playoff games in But when the team isplaying away, the hockeyt fan diners stay away.
“We’ve seen increases when they’re said Barsotti, who estimated his 2009 businesa is up by 25 percentg overlast year, despite the “But on the opposite page, we see a littlew bit of a decrease when they go out of Chris Dilla, owner of Bocktown Beer and Grill, in Nortn Fayette, said it can be tricky for her operatiobn to jump from a busy nightg of a hockey game to extra slow nights when therd isn’t one. She expectxs that plenty of customers are strugglintg to go the distancs withthe seven-game series.
“It’s hard for the business because people don’t have the money to be out every other night,” she “It tends to be that people who watcg the playoffs really have to watch their pennies.”