Maybe people are staying closer to home or maybe everyone is just really ready to say goodbye to 2008, but Denver hotels say they booked up even faster than last year for New Year’s Eve.
The Oxford Hotel on 17th Street said it sold out all of its 80 rooms Tuesday, one day ahead of last year.
“We had a slow early December, but in the last week, things really picked up,” said Ed Blair, the hotel’s general manager.
Blair said many of his counterparts who didn’t sell out Dec. 31, 2007, told him they are full this year, attributing the sales to the “staycation” mentality.
“A lot of people had to cancel big vacations, so I think they are looking to downtown for an urban New Year’s Eve,” he said.
The Curtis, one of the biggest independent hotels in downtown, filled 85 percent of its 336 rooms last year. This year, all of its rooms are booked.
More people vacationing in their hometown and revelers who don’t want to worry about the drive are explanations for the numbers, Curtis general manager Kim Corrigan said.
“Twenty years ago, nobody would stay at a hotel on New Year’s Eve,” Corrigan said. “Now people consider it an insurance policy because, this way, they can have fun and just not worry about it.”
Either way, Corrigan said, it’s good news for a gloomy industry.
“We as the hotel industry are thrilled,” she said. “We’re all very concerned about first-quarter earnings. This is a good sign.”
The downtown Denver New Year’s Eve celebration will feature fireworks along the 16th Street Mall at 9 p.m. and midnight.
Organizers have also scheduled comedy acts and magic shows for the anticipated 100,000 people who will be downtown tonight.
Downtown Denver is producing the event.
For those not staying at home or in a hotel, the Colorado State Patrol is warning of increased saturation patrols across the state, with special DUI enforcement from 6 tonight to 3 a.m. Monday.
Sally S. Ho: 303-954-1638 or sho@denverpost.com
