Hotels in the Rochester region ready for surge of eclipse fans

Rochester, New York – When the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse lights up the April sky on Monday, over 500,000 people are predicted to swarm the Rochester area, forcing a severe shortage of hotel rooms.

According to Airbnb, search activity for bookings in cities along the line of totality has increased by an astounding 1,000 percent.

Visit Rochester expects that some of the eclipse tourists will become repeat business as hoteliers and property owners adjust to the increased demand.

While there are still some hotel rooms available, according to Visit Rochester’s director of market communications and public relations Rachel Laber Pulvino, they might not last long.

“What ends up happening is some folks who want to see an eclipse, they wait until the very last minute to take a look at things like the weather forecast, and they decide to book up until you know 48 hours in advance to get the best view of that upcoming forecast,” Pulvino explained.

One of the best places to see an eclipse is Parcel 5, which is conveniently close to the Hyatt Regency in Rochester. All Hyatt rooms, however, are reserved for a sizable scientific conference that is taking place in the city. The Hyatt’s head of sales and marketing, Travania Clark, claims that the establishment has been getting ready for years.

“Preparedness now for us is making sure our conference attendees have full access to all of the amazing amenities and programming that is happening,” Clark said.

The Hyatt will be serving eclipse drink deals to patrons, along with a new feature that gives guests a “taste of Rochester.”

“We have put a lot of work into opening up our new coffee shop. Boulder Coffee, we’re happy to announce, is coming into the hotel starting tomorrow,” says Clark. “Guests will get to take a little coffee home with their eclipse glasses.”

According to Visit Rochester, the eclipse has already had a favorable effect on the area, and this trend might last for years to come.

“There is so much buzz about our community right now, and its just raising awareness about what we already know – Rochester is an amazing place,” says Pulvino. “If someone comes for the eclipse and has a wonderful experience, they may want to come back for years and years, and that’s going to lead to more spending and more economic impact down the road.”

Visit Rochester anticipates visitors from Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City.